


Whatever it Takes

by SonjaJade



Series: Whatever it Takes [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-06-12
Packaged: 2017-11-07 14:22:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 72,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/432118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonjaJade/pseuds/SonjaJade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris Mustang is marrying Heymans Braeda, and Führer Grumman ain't too happy about it. Does the jilted lover come up with a plan to split them up for good, or does Madame Christmas give him the slip? A tale of blackmail and strategy. Royai too!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Big News

***I don’t own the series Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within***  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Anyone know what’s going on?”

“I bet she’s opening a second location, seeing as how she and her boy toy turned this place around.”

“I heard that since Cpt. Braeda’s been helping her, they’ve already surpassed the profits they made the last fiscal year, and they’re only three quarters through this one!”

“A cash bar?? Who the hell throws a party at a bar and makes everyone pay for their drinks!?”

“Shut up, you’d drink the place back into bankruptcy if it wasn’t a cash bar…”

Braeda smiled at the different theories flying in the air, watching friends and guests chat and drink and mingle. All the girls were on tonight, Jerrica agreeing to tend the bar while her benevolent bosses, as well as her ‘brother’ Roy, made their big announcements. After helping the girl catch up on the drink orders, he signaled his partner to join him.

“Everything’s ready,” the Madame said quietly. “I had to tell Riza our surprise a little early so she could plan on how to handle Roy-boy if he gets upset. She’s already taken his gloves away from him, so you’ll live at least.”

“Do you know if Grumman accepted our invitation?” Braeda asked. “I would love to see that old man’s face when he finds out.”

“Oh he’s gonna find out. He’s the unfashionable geezer in the green plaid with the little golf hat on.” She smirked at him. “He’s using the name Val Wethington,” she said as she waved to the disguised Führer. Suddenly Braeda realized that in addition to the very popular old prune in the back corner, some faces near him and among the crowd were familiar from the Führer’s personal security detail. Of course; Grumman would never turn down an invitation to drink, especially at Christmas’ brothel.

“Ahh, Mr. Wethington! You honor us with your presence, your Excellency,” he bowed, earning him a swat to his arm and the title of smartass. The two of them scanned the crowd. It looked like a swinging party: all their guests were either dancing to the music bopping out of the jukebox, talking in little clusters of people, or in some cases, flirting with the girls. Braeda looked at Chris and she nodded. Time to let the cat out of the bag.

Braeda signaled Jerrica to raise and dim the lights so as to get everyone’s attention, then hit the kill switch on the jukebox. Everyone quieted down when he barked out, “Alright everybody, listen up! We’ve got lots of exciting news to celebrate tonight!!”

Roy feigned drunkenness to hold Riza close to him, and he looked up at his friend/subordinate and his aunt. He had absolutely no clue as to what the big deal was. As far as he knew, tonight was supposed to be his Promotion Party. No longer was he a colonel, he’d made general after all was said and done with the coup de tat. And after Oliver Armstrong turned down the offer to be tapped for next in line for the Führer’s seat (saying she could never give up Fort Briggs to live in dingy, dreary Central), that made Roy next in line. As to any other announcements, neither Braeda nor his aunt had breathed a word about what was to be revealed tonight. He took in Chris’ appearance as she joined Braeda in front of the length of the bar… She was beautiful in a green Xingese style dress that she’d bought specifically for the occasion, and she was sporting a new huge gem to match on her large hand.

Braeda cleared his throat and began. “First of all, I wanna thank all of you for coming. Of course tonight, we’re celebrating Roy Mustang’s promotion. It took him long enough, and I’m sure everyone here is relieved to know that the Führer’s seat will be in good hands once our beloved and dear Führer Grumman gives up the spot.” He grinned at ‘Mr. Wethington’. “He made a wise decision and we can rest easy knowing that our country will continue to be in safe hands. Three cheers for General Mustang!!”

The crowd erupted into three shout of “HURRAY!” Roy stood and waved briefly to the cheering mob, squeezing Riza as if trying to keep his balance. Her cheeks burned red, but her expression was that of her usual professional tamed irritation. Roy plopped back down and gave her a smug grin. He knew exactly how to act in order to allow the two of them some closeness in public.

As the bar began to quiet back down, Braeda spoke again. “We wanted to let everyone know that the Christmas Inn has not only come back from the brink of bankruptcy, but we’ll be expanding into the old apothecary next door!” The crowd erupted into cheers of congratulations again as Braeda and Christmas fought to regain control of their friends and guests.

“We’re going to be adding a kitchen and a menu, and we’re going to be changing our name to Emerald’s Bar and Grill!” Chris shouted as more whooping and cheers rang out. Roy smiled at her as she tossed him a wink. Ah, yes. That’s why the green dress and the giant emerald ring on her finger; in celebration of the new establishment.

Braeda was gesturing for everyone to simmer down again, and finally, when it was quiet enough, he took Chris’ hand. “I’m sure by now everyone in this room knows how close Chris and I have gotten.” There was a shout from the back about the broken bed and everyone laughed. “Yes, the bed. Yeah, we broke it. Then we turned this place around and bought a better one!” Wolf whistles and cries of ‘Hell yeah!’ echoed through the room. Then the redheaded captain turned to the heavyset woman beside him and smiled sweetly. “Chris and I just kind of fell into each other’s lives at just the right time. We needed each other. And as time went on we became everything the other needed.” He looked at Roy sincerely. “I apologize, General. Chris and I do not intend for this gathering to be about anything other than you and your promotion. Though we neither one intend to steal your thunder…” He swallowed, not knowing if his next blink would be through a black eye. “Christmas and I… we’re engaged to be married.”

Amid the sound of the applause and shouts, Roy’s face looked like it was going to be stuck in a permanent shocked expression. Riza squeezed him a little. “Are you alright, sir?” she muttered. He said nothing, but his arm fell away and he stood up. The entire room grew silent as they watch Roy ‘stagger’ over to where his aunt and Braeda were standing. With that dazed look still on his face, he looked back and forth between the two of them.

“Really?” he asked in a confused voice.

“Really, Roy-boy.” Chris was trying her best to read him, but he was already putting up a front for the people so he could hold Riza, and it was hard to read between his lines. She didn’t know what he was going to do. Her eyes flicked to his faithful aide, the blonde woman who’d been promoted the same day as Braeda to the same rank of captain, and she saw that she discretely pulled her pistol, thumb on the safety, ready to wound her commander if necessary. 

The man swallowed, then turned to Braeda. After a moment, his face went from shocked to scowling, and he asked seriously, “Does that mean you’re taking her out of the whoring business?” Braeda closed his eyes and gave a single nod. “And she’ll never have to be bought like livestock ever again? To be forced to perform like some circus monkey just to make some extra cash on the side?” Another nod from Braeda. A slow smile bloomed on Roy’s lips and he stuck his hand out. “Then welcome to the family, Braeda.” Braeda shook hands with him and pulled him into a hug as the room erupted once again into happy applause. 

“The only monkey in here is you, Roy-boy,” Chris said before Roy planted a wet sloppy kiss to her cheek. “And now poor Braeda’s gonna be a monkey’s uncle.”

“I’m happy for you both,” Roy said as he hugged his aunt close. “I’ll gladly be a monkey, especially if it’s the monkey’s uncle that keeps you happy.” The jukebox was flipped back on, then he pretended to be the happy lush once again, staggering and grabbing Riza to dance, missing the holstering her pistol before turning away from his aunt’s future husband.

Braeda and Chris received their friends’ well wishes and obligatory hugs and handshakes happily, even going so far as to declare a round of drinks on the house. The party back in full swing, they shared a tender kiss as their fingers entwined around each other, and the rest of the night went off without a snag.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grumman’s mustache twitched. Despite being half blitzed and half hard from India’s playful swipes at his crotch, he was feeling a certain deep anger rising up through his tired, old body. He and Christmas had been john and whore for years… And though he’d never mentioned anything to her, he’d always hoped that what had happened so easily for Braeda would have happened to him instead. The Führer longed for Chris to breathe his name into the night the way he’d heard through the grapevine she had cried her captain’s; the rumors about them breaking a bed had hurt him even worse.

“She can’t do this to me,” he grumbled under his breath as he stood up from his seat and swatted India away from him. “She’s not gonna do this to me!” He swallowed the rest of his scotch in a single gulp and began stomping toward the two of them, Braeda watching him like a hawk from his perch at the bar. ‘Goddamn pot bellied pig,’ he thought as Braeda’s mouth was pulled into a smug little grin. ‘I’ll have your head, you bastard!!’ Things like ‘What’s he got that I don’t got?’ and ‘What does she see in him?’ swam through his red tinged mind, making him crazier by the second. He wasn’t even paying attention to what he was doing, just keeping a straight and steady path that would carry his fist to Heymans Braeda’s jaw…

Seemingly out of nowhere, Roy stumbled drunkenly in front of him, weaving between chairs and revelers. “F-führer!” he exclaimed, hiccupping and then throwing his arms around the man. “You honor me with your presence!”

“Get the hell off me, boy!” the man growled, shoving Roy away from him. Roy played his part well, pretending to lose his balance and fall into a table, sloshing alcohol all over the back of one of his sister’s dresses. The Führer’s security detail slowly surrounded them, and Grumman remembered his manners, taking a deep breath and huffing out, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you away so hard. You must’ve lost some weight General!”

As Roy righted himself, he grinned. “Well, I’ve been pretty busy, and sweating like a pig in the desert will certainly help a man lose a few pounds!”

Deciding to drop the ass-kicking bit for now, Grumman clapped his successor on the back. “Oughtta up your chances with my granddaughter then.”

“Trust me sir,” he said as he picked up a random glass and drank from it, “if it weren’t for frat regs your granddaughter would already be round with our second child, I assure you.” His cheeks flashed red for a moment. “Sorry, I’ve had quite a bit to drink. My filter is totally gone, I’m afraid. I’m sure you don’t wanna hear any of that.”

The rough old hand on his shoulder suggested otherwise. “It’s alright, I’m glad to know the attraction is there and not simply from me forcing it on you. And I am eagerly awaiting my great-grandchildren, I’m glad you’ve figured them into your plans somewhat, Mustang!” The anger he felt moments ago had been tempered with hopes for little blonde headed dark-eyed babies, but it was still there. For now, it was muted, festering; just waiting for the right instant to awaken once more and give him the strength to maim the lard-ass on the stool still watching him.

He walked with Roy back to his table, greeting his granddaughter with a hug and not giving a damn about playing ‘Mr. Val Wethington’. The crowd here all knew who he was, it was only the press he hoped to elude. “Can I get you something a little less flammable to drink, sir?” Riza asked Roy as he sat down and emptied his tumbler of whiskey.

“Hell no, Captain!” he said loudly as he slammed the glass down on the table top. “I’ll have another double on the rocks! That’s an order!”

It occurred to Grumman at just that minute that there was one advantage he had over the roly poly captain his most favorite whore had chosen: rank. He outranked the man, and any commanding officer he would ever have. And if his memory served him, Cpt. Braeda had at least three to four years of service in the army left before he could choose not to reenlist… The angry beast that growled deep in his belly just minutes before seemed to calm back into a completely dormant state: how could it be angry anymore? Roy’s intentions about his granddaughter were clear, and the fat little captain who’d taken his woman away would be ordered as far away from Chris as possible.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was getting late. Nearly two in the morning now, most people were lurched over tables fighting the urge to puke, or dancing up a storm. Most of the drinking had stopped now, but that wasn’t true for everyone.

Roy, by this time no longer pretending to be blitzed, wandered away from where Riza had begun to doze in her chair to where Braeda sat on a bar stool looking over the crowd. “Hey,” Roy grinned. “Should I start calling you Pops? Or maybe Uncle Braeda?”

The heavyset man laughed. “Actually, I wanted to ask you about that. But I’ll wait til you’re a little less soused.”

Roy plopped down beside him, leaning heavily on the bar. “No, I can *hic* I can hold a coherent conservation.” He didn’t understand why Braeda was laughing at him, so he scowled into his whisky and grumbled something about how he was perfectly capable of holding a conservation.

“Fine, look at me Roy, this is important.” When two very glazed eyes met his, he said, “The Madame wants me to take her name. I’m changing my name to Braeda Mustang.”

“If I marry Riza one day that’s gonna make too many Mustangs in the army,” he swayed on the barstool. “But I really don’t have a say in what you decide to do. This is your moment. I’m just glad someone’s gonna finally take care of her the way she’s always deserved.” His face suddenly became worried. “Wait, you didn’t knock her up, didja?”

Braeda roared with laughter. “Roy, she’s in her fifties, she couldn’t give me any babies if she wanted to!” He leaned in close. “That’s why we’re counting on you and Riza for babies.” 

“You know what’s funny? That’s not th’ firssstime that subject has come up tonight.”

“Well,” Braeda said as Jerrica sat another beer down in front of him, “that’s probably because everyone knows you two belong together. It’s only natural that you would eventually have kids with her if you can find a way around the frat regs. Everybody knows how the two of you feel about each other; it’s not like it’s a big secret.”

“I’ve never just come out and told her how I felt. Not even that one time you and the Madame encouraged me to tell her. I lost my nerve when she opened the door.” He groaned and mumbled something that Braeda asked him to repeat. “I said I wish I could just say it.”

Braeda thought for a moment. “You know, when I first knew I had fallen for your aunt, I told her, but she didn’t want to hear it. It was like she couldn’t accept it because of her profession. You know how taboo it is for women like her to get attached to one man.” Roy nodded, now sipping on some brandy. “And because of the taboo of frat regs you don’t want to say it. Hell, maybe Riza doesn’t want to admit it either, but just keeping it in your heart… All that love just going to waste… You know how she feels about being wasteful. Just tell her how you feel, and tell her you’re not going to waste it anymore.”

“So tell her we’re being wasteful not giving our love to each other? That we shouldn’t waste a good thing?”

“Yep.”

“But the frat regs-”

“You know, sir,” he sighed, “all she has to do is be assigned to a different commander. Then it’s easy breezy lemon-squeezey.” He smiled at him. “There are ways around them if you really wanna find ‘em.”

He watched as Roy nodded sagely, then got up and woke his tired captain. Her face seemed embarrassed at having fallen asleep, but he didn’t let her thoughts linger there. He grabbed her hand and tugged her along behind him until they were behind a partially drawn open drape over the doorway that led to the back alley. Braeda could see in the shadows that Roy had grabbed her in a dance pose and was speaking to her. She would smile occasionally, a softer, sweeter smile than she used in the office. Then he said something to her that made her eyes go wide, and when he leaned down and kissed her she was holding on to him so tightly that Braeda was sure she was going to squeeze the life out of his drunken superior.

“What’s going on there?” Chris asked as she joined her fiancé with a glass of wine.

“Dunno,” Braeda replied thoughtfully. He grinned, “Roy asked if I knocked you up-”

“Of course he did,” she said as she rolled her eyes.

“-And I told him we were counting on him and Riza for the babies. We talked about love and what’s expected of people, and then he got up and grabbed her, and that’s where they are now.”

She smiled. “Looks like he finally told her how he felt, what he wants to do with her. No surprise he had to do it drunk, but at least he didn’t completely fuck it up like last time.” They watched as Roy’s hands began to wander and Riza spun him around and put him in a hammerlock. “Should I let ‘em go upstairs or send them back to his place?”

Braeda shook his head, taking a drink from his mug of beer. “Riza won’t do anything here. Best get Roy some coffee and let her get the car.” Chris nodded and went behind the curtain to make a friendly suggestion to her nephew, and a few minutes later, he was back beside Braeda sipping on a strong cup of black coffee. “Looks like you were having a lot of fun there, Chief.”

A low chuckle and slitted eyes slid toward him. “I’m gonna have a whole lot more fun when we get to my place.” He took another scalding sip. “I got the bigger bed,” he explained. “It’ll make it easier to make a baby in.”

“Did you decide how to get around the regs?” 

“No, but we’ll figure it out.” He looked at him seriously for a moment. “You won’t say anything will you?”

“Sir, you of all people should know how trustworthy I am. I would never sell out such a beautiful thing as true love.” He sighed and took a long drink. “Dammit, that’s probably the sappiest thing I’ve ever said in my entire life. I think being the only guy working this place is starting to make me girly.” Braeda batted his eyes and spoke in a falsetto voice, “Oh, isn’t it romantic? Roy-boy and his golden lady, finally together! I think I might just piss myself!!”

They both laughed. “You really have been around my sisters too long,” Roy said, sounding a little clearer than he had when he’d first come to sit by his aunt’s future husband. Riza came up slowly, holding his black coat over her arm. “Ah, my captivating captain. I do believe we’ve got some important business to take care of. Perhaps you’d be willing to escort me back to my humble abode and assist me?”

“Just put your coat on, sir,” she commented, her dark eyes sparkling. She helped him into the thing, and though she took his arm, she was the one leading him out the door.

Chris lit a cigarette and then asked Riza to stop a minute. She caught Roy’s arm, saying, “Now listen. If you go back and decide you don’t want to give me any grandchildren just yet, it’s fine. All I want is for two people who belong together to be happy.” Riza smiled as the Madame gave her a hug and thanked her for coming, then watched as she did the same to Roy. “But if you get there and decide you want to really try to get her pregnant,” she said in a hushed tone to her son, “do it in doggy position, you come first, keep her up in the air and make her come twice. It’ll force her womb to swallow it all inside and increase your chances.” Riza’s cheeks pinked as Roy nodded and thanked her for the advice. She walked them outside, helped Riza get Roy in the car and shoved a to-go cup of coffee in his hand. “Good luck,” she said shut the door on Roy, and she waved as Riza pulled away from the curb.

The night wore on, and finally at 4:22 am, the last guests left. Jerrica had been staying on top of the dishes and had the bar wiped down and clean by the time Braeda and Chris had the tables wiped off and the floor swept. A combined effort on rolling the trash out to the dumpster and they were walking out just as the sun began to rise. “Even when we party we make money,” he said as he locked the door. “And you were worried we’d lose some.”

“I’m not worried about anything right now but getting some damn sleep,” she griped. Suddenly she felt two strong arms around her and a scruffy chin on her shoulder. “I’m too worn out for any extra curricular activities, young man. If you wanna make my fantasy come true, strip me naked and cover me up in the bed when we get home.”

He kissed her cheek. “Of course, my lady.” He opened the door for her on his beat up town car, then climbed in himself and drove them home, to his apartment they’d been sharing for almost two months. After quietly doing as she’d asked him to do, he stripped bare as well and snuggled up behind her, falling asleep just as quickly as she had.


	2. Reinforcements

A/N: I don't know who originally gave Grumman the first name of 'Eli', but it fit him so damn well that I am running with it. I recall I read it in a fic on LJ. I wish I could remember who, but until I figure it out I can't properly give credit. (The grand illustrious beta Sammy Quill says it was 'Stoplight Delight' back in 2008)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***I don't own the series Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within***  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Roy," she said gently, shaking him. A loud snore came from the man who'd shared her body and her bed for the first time last night (seeing how he was too drunk to remember how to give directions to his apartment). Shaking him a little more forcefully, Riza repeated, "Roy!"

"Don't wake me up, the dream will be over," he mumbled.

"You need to get up and leave before anyone sees you here."

That got his attention. He rolled over and looked at her, just drinking in this first sight of the day. She was topless, hair a mess and makeup smudged all over her face from where they didn't allow a single minute to be wasted on silly things as washing off mascara and blush. He thought she never looked lovelier. "We really did it then…" he said thoughtfully.

Her lips curled a little. "Yeah, we really did it."

His hand went gently to her belly. "Might be a little guy in there already then."

She laughed as she flipped the sheet back and got out of bed, giving him a fantastic view of her ass, and reminding him of the hurt he had inflicted on her by scarring her tattooed back. "Not likely."

Roy grunted in confusion, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. "Why?" Then he feared the worst- "Did I pass out and not finish?" She tossed him a white, rattling compact as she dug out clean clothes to put on after she bathed. "Oh." Having been raised in a whorehouse, he knew birth control pills when he saw them. Those who took them only used them for medical reasons, knowing full well the rubbers worked better for disease. "Wait, why do you take them? You're not involved with anyone… are you?"

She came back to the bed and sat down next to him. "I have… female troubles."

Roy's face became concerned, "What kind of troubles? Endometriosis? PCOS?"

Riza was surprised to hear him naming off such illnesses, thinking that he wouldn't have had a clue about them, despite growing up around so many women. "No nothing that serious. I don't have periods like I should… My doctor says I'm underweight and overworked."

Roy's hand came to her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault, making you work so hard that you forget to eat."

"No, sir, it's my fault. I'm a perfectionist and a workaholic. If I could just learn to let some things slide… If only I could look at that stack of paperwork on your desk and not care if it all got finished by the end of the day, if I could only ignore our boys goofing off when they should be working…" She scowled. "It's hard to turn that off."

Roy kissed her and then got up, unaware of Riza's appreciative glance to his muscular back and buttocks. "I'll ask for two assistants today. Havoc's absence is doing more damage than I thought."

"One good person is all we need," she replied. "But with Braeda only doing half days, maybe we should get two." She watched Roy dressing, the clock on the wall reading 5:51 am. The sun would be coming up soon; Roy better not dally. "I wish we didn't have to rush like this. It would have been nice to wake up slowly in your arms."

Roy nodded, "You know, Braeda said something to me last night that was very interesting. He said there are ways around the frat regs, we just gotta find them." He looked at her. "We could live together; get married…"

"I'd have to resign from my post at your back, sir." She scratched absently at her shoulder. "I can't walk away from that yet."

"But think about this: we would spend more time together off duty than we do during working hours. You could still keep your post, just for not eight hours a day. Sixteen hours of not knowing what I'm up to or eight, which sounds better to you?" He buckled the waist wrap around him and pulled her into his arms. "And those sixteen hours we'd get to spend together could be directed toward getting you better so you can get off those pills."

"You mean going at it like two rabbits until we're so sore we can't move," she giggled.

"Hey," he said in a defensive voice, "sex is a well known anti-depressant and stress reducer. Besides, if the stress of your job is getting to you, then maybe it's time to consider a change of plans. And serving under a different commander and sleeping with me regularly is bound to cure you." He nibbled at her neck and thumbed over one of her nipples. "It's something I want you to seriously consider. I think it would be a win-win all around," he said as Riza's breath became shorter and heavier. Suddenly she wormed away from him, then returned with a single kiss before turning to get in the shower.

"For now, just get another person or two in to help with the paperwork. We'll see how it goes from there."

"I'll see you at the office," Roy said as she shut the door. "I love you!" he called as the shower popped on.

The door opened briefly and her blonde head poked out. "I know, sir," she smiled. The door closed and she was back to the task at hand, humming some tune from years ago, back when Roy had stayed with the Hawkeye family learning alchemy.

Roy let himself out after being sure he could lock her door behind him, and whistled all the way to Heitze's Bakery.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Don't forget to call the realtor today and ask about the zoning thing," Braeda said as he kissed his smoky lady goodbye. He tugged on the blue jacket of his military uniform before grabbing one of the biscuits she'd made. It was 12:30 in the afternoon and he was expected in the office by 1. "I'll see ya later, sweetheart."

"Bye, Braeda-boy!" she called as she washed some dishes, looking very much like a housewife. Her hair was spun up in a messy impromptu bun, her cigarette dangled from her lips as she scrubbed at a greasy pan in her nightgown and slippers. A contented smile drew her lips up… She never would have imagined this being a morning she wanted for herself. She had a man (a young man…) who loved her, she had a home that wasn't a single bedroom in a whorehouse, she had a super successful business… Right now was probably the happiest she'd ever been in her entire life.

The phone rang, and she dried her hands off and answered it. "Hello?"

"So he does let you answer his phone."

Chris' smile fell away. "Good afternoon Führer Grumman. To what do I owe the honor of speaking to you this morning?" she asked sweetly, though her guts suddenly became knotted and twisted.

"I wanted to congratulate you on the promotion of your boy, your business venture and your… engagement." His voice was taut, as if he really weren't thrilled by any of it, particularly the engagement part.

"Thank you very much, your Excellency," she cooed. "I trust you had a good time last night?"

"Chris," he said. "Why him?"

"Because I fell in love with him," she answered softly. Even though she wouldn't trade Bradea for anything, there was still a certain amount of guilt that came with their relationship for her: he was far too young for her, he had been a john, and he was her business partner… Still, none of that changed the truth: she did love him.

"And you couldn't fall in love with me after fifteen years?" he raged.

Christmas huffed and pulled a chair out from the table to sit down. "Eli, as much as I respect you and am glad to have known you intimately, I just don't have the feelings for you that you have for me." She heard him smack the top of his desk.

"I could give you anything you want, every luxury you could think of: diamonds, exotic vacations, furs, extravagant living in every aspect you can imagine, yet you resign yourself to living in a small apartment with a fat assed captain whose paycheck I could wipe my ass on!"

"Now listen here, old man," she growled. "Braeda may not be rich, and he might be only a captain, but he's genuine and sweet and cares more about me than you'll ever know! How dare you presume that just because I played your kinky little games that I ever loved you! When did you ever get me off! When did you ever make my fantasies come true? When did you hold me afterward and make me feel wanted? Never!"

"I didn't know you were sorting through your johns for a husband!" he barked back, startling his secretary in the other room.

"Oh right, like I had so many johns in those fifteen years. It was only you! Oh, and one really drunk guy who wanted the biggest woman in the house." She blew smoke from her mouth angrily. "I want you to know that from the very first time, Braeda treated me like a human being, made it something good for both of us, and after that first time with him I was ruined for everyone else. He doesn't tie me up, he doesn't spank me with that ridiculous cat-o-nine-tails, he doesn't cover me in syrup and lick it off or blindfold me and shove plugs with animal tails up my ass!" She was hoping his line was being tapped, because she'd just about let all of his nasty secrets out in one breath. "He's always asked me what I want to do and never forced me to do things I don't like! He loves me, really loves me. I don't think you're in love with me so much as in love with the thought that you could do anything with me, of course for the right price."

Grumman was quiet a moment. "I strongly suggest you reconsider this marriage. I strongly suggest that you alter whatever agreement you have with him concerning your real profession and continue to provide me with that sterling service I've always paid you so well for."

"So you think you're gonna threaten me?" Chris yelled. "Ohhh, don't tread where you can't win, Eli! You know I've been running rings around the Amestrian Intelligence Agency for years, and I know I can find plenty of damnable things to put you out of that marble mansion on your scrawny old ass!"

Grumman laughed at her. "You might have intelligence gathering down to a science, honey, but all that makes you is a high tech whore; a whore with shiny new listening devices, hidden cameras and top of the line surveillance audio."

Now it was her turn to laugh. She stubbed out her cigarette, saying, "I'm not a whore anymore, Grumman. I can refer you to the Christmas Inn's new Madame, but as for me, I'm an honest woman after nearly forty years. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work that needs to be done today. Have a pleasant afternoon and thank you for calling!" She slammed the phone down into its cradle and lit another smoke. She tapped her chin for a moment. He was threatening her, and she didn't take to threats very lightly. She picked up the phone again and called Vanessa… She wasn't sure, but they might have some recon on the old man, back before he was a General… Back when his wife had first died and he was using bondage to work through his grief.

"Hello?" came the sleepy voice of the blonde that seemed to be the most popular of her girls (and the only one Roy had ever used as Riza's placeholder, although she had a feeling those days were at an end after last night).

"Vanessa? It's Chris. I need you to find everything you can on Grumman that we have in the archives. And I know it's gonna be a ton of work, but you're gonna have to go back fifteen years."

"Fuck, fifteen years?" the girl groaned. "That's gonna take forever!"

"I know sweetie, I'm sorry. Get Melanie to help, she can sort through photographs with a baby drooling in the floor."

"He's pissed ain't he?" she asked, her voice sounding more alert with every minute.

"Yep. Threatened me. And we know how I handle threats."

"Blackmail," Vanessa replied, the grin evident in her voice.

"You betcha, honey. Can I count on you?"

"Of course, Madame. I'll put a rush on it."

Christmas sighed in relief. "Thank you. I'll be in sometime today, you can call me at Braeda's if you need to. Talk to you later." She hung up and rubbed at her temples. Grumman… What did that perverted old man want with her anyways? It wasn't like the things he did were so outrageous that no other whore would do them (might have to pay them a little more, though…). It wasn't like she was the only one. She knew his housekeeper at the mansion was given an extra chunk of Cenz to her monthly salary just to be available for whenever he needed an ass to fuck and to keep quiet about it. He had no idea though that the woman was part of Chris' network of informants. Maybe if she couldn't find any of her own stuff to blackmail the little tyrant with, his maid could help her out.

Knowing that Vanessa was probably already dressed and half ready to leave her penthouse suite for the storage units at Peach Lane and Catawba Street, she sat and enjoyed her tobacco for a moment, calming down from the over-the-phone confrontation. She had a drink of coffee and then picked up the phone once more, this time to contact the realtor from which they'd bought the apothecary. No one answered, and she hung up, groaning. Not even up an hour and it was already shaping up to be a terrible day.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Braeda walked into the office he shared with Mustang's team, only to find a large present on his desk. The others, Fuery, Falman, Hawkeye and his commander, pretended not to notice the wrapped box with entirely too many ribbons and bows on it.

"What the hell's this?" he asked, setting his coffee down.

"Looks like a gift," Falman grinned.

"Gee, I had no idea, Vato," Braeda grumbled. "Who's it from?"

"It's from Havoc." Fuery adjusted his glasses as he peered up from his pile of papers. "Said to tell you he was sorry he couldn't make it to your party last night, but he would be up to visit tonight after 9 o'clock."

Braeda sat down and gave a worried frown to the thing in his workspace. "I'm afraid to open it."

"It's nothing bad," Mustang commented. "We already looked because we were afraid you'd say that."

"Come on, Hawkeye, you couldn't keep these boys in line and keep them away from my present?"

Roy shot her a look and her cheeks pinked. "It was her idea! I am completely innocent in this."

His shoulders sagged as Riza hung her head and apologized. Sighing, Braeda lifted the lid on the box and peeked inside. He reached in and pulled out a glass tumbler, then shuffled the other three tumblers aside and extracted a glass plate. It had a note taped to it that read:

Here's a sample of the line of dishes we carry in the Havoc General Store. They'd make a great addition to Emerald's and I can get you a good price on them. There's dishes and a set of flatware- a service for four. Keep these as an engagement gift. Congratulations! (And don't break any more beds!)

~Jean

Braeda smiled. "She's gonna love these. She told me today she wished I had something other than mismatched dishes I've been collecting from different grocery promotions. This is great, I'll have to think of a way to thank him."

"Well, a great thank you would be to really consider buying the dishes for your restaurant from him," Fuery offered. "What kind of food are you going to be serving?" he asked.

Braeda leaned back in his chair, looking at one of the forks that had come in the box. "Chris wants to do a little of everything, a place that always sounds good. So we've got a lot of Amestrian stuff on the menu, but also a few Xingese things, some Aruegoan stuff, quite a few Cretan dishes. Drachman stuff though, most of it isn't very appetizing to start with, at least I don't think so. So none of that, although I guess if we had the ingredients we could custom make something for someone." He looked up. "If I brought you guys a copy of the menu, you think you could tell me if it looks alright?"

Everyone said that would be a great idea, since they all had such varied tastes. Braeda said they didn't have pictures of the dishes yet because they wanted to make them all in the new kitchen and try them after the bar was expanded, but he could bring them the draft of the menu. They talked more about food, and it wasn't long before everyone started getting hungry, so the General sent everyone to lunch.

"Even you, Cpt. Hawkeye," he added when she didn't move.

"Just let me get this page finished so I can start fresh when I get back." Mustang rose and stood behind her, watching as she scribbled on this line and that line, and once she jotted down her signature, Roy put his hand on top of the paper.

"If you peel it off, you'll want to finish the next one. Now go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat. This morning's éclair has got to be wearing thin." When her cinnamon colored eyes met his he smiled at her. "It's okay to stop. This will all be here when you get back, I promise no one will touch your stack of boring paperwork."

She nodded, then grabbed her purse. "Thank you, sir."

"And you better eat more than a tiny salad."

"Yes, sir," Riza said, snapping a salute and finally going to get something to eat.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ring! Ring!

It was the secondary line. Grumman shooed his secretary out of his office and told her to not let anyone in. He picked up the receiver. "What did you find, Major?"

"Your instinct was right, sir. The blonde woman went straight from her apartment to a storage unit."

Grumman took a breath and nodded. "Seems like she's already sent her bloodhound out then."

"Your orders, sir?"

He thought for a moment. "For now, keep an eye on her. Don't be too conspicuous, though. If she comes out of the unit with anything, let me know."

"Roger that. Over and out, sir."

"Until next time, Major." He hung up the phone and steepled his fingers. "Alright, Chris… Shit's about to hit the fan old girl. You think you can blackmail me? Oh, but you've got another thing coming."

Across town, Christmas sneezed into one of Braeda's handkerchiefs at the realtor's office, wondering if maybe she was getting a touch of a cold on top of everything else that had happened today.


	3. Shuffling the Deck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR huge hugs to my beta, the incomparable Sammyquill, for helping me fix the timeline of this story overall and calling to mind cultural and historical references. I love her to bits and can't imagine writing this story without her help. She's amazing :)

Vanessa pulled an elastic band from her purse and tugged her hair back into a sloppy ponytail, digging through a steel bank box full of photographs and written transcripts of audio surveillance reels (which were packed in another locked steel crate underneath where she was currently searching). These were dated before she began working at the Christmas Inn, and she wasn’t sure where she would find anything out on old man Führer, but she searched anyway in the dark and stuffy storage unit.

Then, as she was skimming over one of the transcripts, she saw his name and she began to read:

_Room 4: Madame Christmas & Gen. Eli Grumman, 02/29/05 21:32:11  
(Door opening, sounds of settling in)  
Madame: So you’re new to buying your women, Gen. Grumman?  
Grumman: (nervous) Uh, yes, you could certainly say that, my dear. I’m not quite  
sure what the protocol is in this type of situation…  
Madame: Honey, you put the cash in my hand and protocol goes out the window.  
(Rustling of clothing, sounds of cash being exchanged, the bed creaks as weight  
shifts on it)  
Madame: Now, you say it’s been years… Let’s see if I can’t refresh your memory  
of how this works…  
(Sounds of sex, approximately 00:00:36)  
Grumman: Wait… wait. (Panting)  
Madame: What’s wrong my dear General?  
Grumman: (Whimpering) I don’t think I can do this.  
Madame: Shh, you’ve already paid me… We can take as long as you like, there’s  
no hurry. And I think your precious Belinda would want you to find  
some way of experiencing pleasure again. I don’t want to replace her.  
I only want to help you relieve your aching body. And she knows that,  
from wherever she’s watching over you. Just relax…  
Grumman: (Stammered) Alright.  
Madame: Shh… (Sounds of sex) Everything will be fine… (Panting) What’s your  
first name General?  
Grumman: (Panting) Eli.  
Madame: (Moaning) Feels so good, doesn’t it, Eli?  
(Sounds of sex, approximately 00:43:30)  
Madame: (A lighter ignites) Smoke, Eli?  
Grumman: No, but thank you.  
(Approximately 00:02:10 of silence)  
Madame: You’re awful quiet…  
Grumman: I haven’t slept with anyone other than my wife since before I entered  
the academy. And despite my… flirtatious nature, I like monogamy.  
Would it be alright if I saw you again?  
Madame: You bring me the right amount of money and you can see me anytime  
you like, Eli.  
(Nothing else of importance is said, Grumman dresses and leaves the room at  
22:40:31)_

Vanessa smiled. Written below the last line in red ink was: **Returns 03/14/05**. She had a timeline now, and she began picking through other boxes looking for more clues. The interactions that began timidly between he and Chris slowly turned stranger and more perverse. He began asking for spankings, bondage for himself, then he wanted to tie her up too. Evidently the monogamy thing went out the window eventually as well, because he paid for a threesome more than ten times, discovered ‘water sports’, ‘fletching’, and other perverted practices.

She gathered the photographs, but didn’t look at them. She knew there would be pictures of the obscene things he’d done in there somewhere, but she didn’t want to pick through them here in this dusty shed. However, she was smart enough to know she’d been followed the whole way over. One black magic marker and a quick scribble of a star on the front of the boxes she wanted, and she was ready to set her plan in motion.

She walked down to the front office, where a kid of about seventeen was sitting in a chair behind a cluttered desk and lost in a comic book. “Hey, honey!” she said sweetly. “I have a huge favor to ask of you.” She leaned over the counter, her cleavage inviting the young man’s eyes downward to her breasts rather than upward to her mischievous blue eyes. “I’m in unit 47, and I don’t have a car with me at the moment to haul the boxes I need to my office, so I was wondering if you could bring the boxes I marked to where I work?” She wiggled her hips a little and her boobs seemed to jiggle slightly.

“47?” he asked, his eyes finally tearing away from her pale globes nearly bursting from her light pink blouse. “You want me to bring your stuff to you?” He put the comic book down and met her at the counter covered in price lists and storage unit sizes.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” she said. “I can pay you when you deliver them, I just can’t carry 5 huge boxes by hand all the way to work.” Her fingers walked across the countertop to his hand and part way up his arm… “A big strong guy like yourself oughtta be able to do it without even breaking a sweat.” She licked her lips slowly as she squeezed the muscle in his forearm, just enough to hook him into doing the task for her.

“S-s-sure, miss! Hell, I’ll even give ya a ride so you don’t wear yourself out on the way there!”

She flipped her hair after removing the tie that held it back. “Oh, sweetie, I have to go on ahead and make a place for you to set those boxes down. Give me a fifteen minute head start and then you can load up, alright?” Vanessa grabbed a pen from a cup bearing the company’s logo and scribbled The Christmas Inn’s address on it, along with her name. “You just deliver it there, but go around to the back- there’s an alley behind it- and show the nice man who opens the door this card and he’ll send for me. And then…” She rose up on her tip toes and leaned in to kiss him, only to pull back at the last second and whisper, “I’d really like to thank you for your kindness.”

“Y-yes, ma’am… I’m looking forward to it.” His eyes were wide and his cheeks were flushed.

She waved and blew a kiss to him as she left, putting extra sway in her hips and walked back to her penthouse that lay in the opposite direction of the Inn, patting her purse as if she had something concealed within it, drawing the attention of a Major Greene who sat watching her intently. He followed her with his eyes as far as he could, then he started the car and drove just slow enough, watching her disappear into the building she lived in.

He rounded a corner and parked the car, then got out and dug out the paper that had the secret line’s number and security clearance codes on it. While he was busy dialing, Vanessa was busy peeking at him from her window, pulling on a red wig and stuffing a pillow under a much too large overcoat. She walked out the front door, completely invisible to the Major in her disguise. The soldier, in his defense, was too busy trying to spot Vanessa through her apartment window to pay any heed to the pregnant red head passing by.

Chris-1, Grumman-0.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alright, just sign this here, here, and here, and then we’ll send this off to the Registrar Clerk’s office, and I’ll take care of getting the new deed that will consolidate the two properties into one,” the much too thin woman wearing wire frame glasses said. “While that’s happening, you’ll be able to apply for the change of name on your establishment.” She smiled when Braeda slid the sheet of paper back to her and said, “It’s probably going to take about two weeks for you to receive the new deed with your names on it in the mail; I’ll need it as soon as it arrives. The name change will take about another five to six. Getting the repaired deed however is going to be a while, but renovation can begin immediately.”

“So if I want to knock the wall down between the bar and the apothecary with a sledgehammer tonight, I can?” Chris asked, grinning.

“Absolutely! You own both properties, you can do with them what you want!” The old woman turned back to the stack of paperwork at hand, and Christmas gave Braeda a big, happy smile as he squeezed her hand.

“For now, you can start ordering dishes, sending your menu off to be printed… If you plan on having tablecloths and fancy napkins, you could probably go ahead and get those. I wouldn’t buy any appliances until the renovation is nearly finished, and I’d wait on the new signage as well.” The realtor put all of the copies of the forms into a pocketed folder and handed it to the Madame. “But it won’t be much longer now! Get ready to do a lot of hard work though with the renovation.”

“That won’t be a problem, we’ve already got an alchemist coming to do most of it,” Braeda replied. 

“Oh, then all the better for you both. It’s faster and quieter than traditional construction anyway. Just be aware though that I’ve heard it’s not as solid and sturdy. It depends on who’s doing it though, I suppose.” She stood and offered her hand to Chris and then to Braeda. “I’ve got another client coming in shortly, and I would like to have a snack before he gets here. But please call me if you have any questions or concerns!”

They thanked her and left, Braeda walking to his car and opening the door for his lady. As they pulled away, he put his arm around her and said, “Sorry I almost missed it, had to carry the present Havoc left for us down to the car and it was heavier than I thought.” A nice warm wind blew her ponytail around and ruffled Braeda’s hair as they rode down the sunset colored street.

Chris snuggled into him, “Oh boy, what kind of loot did we get?”

Braeda smirked. “Something you asked for just this morning- a set of dishes.”

“And they all match?” she asked excitedly.

“Yep,” he said as he stole a kiss at a red light. “And there’s silverware, too. A service for four, a sample of dishes we can order in bulk from his store for Emerald’s if we want to.”

She grinned. “I always liked Jean. Good man.”

“Best man.” Braeda gave her a sidelong glance, turning down Plumeria Parkway when the light changed.

“Oh?” Manicured nails worked their way over to his belt buckle, jerking and tugging it to open; there was a quiet zipping sound and her hand slipped inside his pants. Braeda’s breath caught and he shifted in his seat, allowing her better access.

“Well,” he said through gritted teeth, “I have to- God! Gotta ask him first- hey, don’t stop…”

Chris had slid away from him, but then leaned over with her face in his lap. “Don’t panic, I had to get a better angle. And don’t let my head hit the steering wheel this time, alright?” A moment later, his half erect cock was being devoured by warm, red lips and his balls were being cradled by soft hands.

“One day we’re gonna get arrested for this,” he chuckled as she began to suck him in earnest, his hand sliding to the top left of her head to keep from hitting it in his fervor. It was so hard to concentrate on driving when she was deep throating him… “Dammit, that’s so good, Chris… I’m not gonna last very long…”

She hummed in agreement around the flesh in her mouth, rhythmically squeezing his sack gently, encouraging his orgasm. Finally, a red light stopped them, and he gripped the back of her head and pumped in and out of her soft mouth frantically, and just as the light turned green, he exploded in white hot ecstasy, hissing as she greedily swallowed it down. A honk from the car behind him and he suddenly remembered to put his foot on the gas. Only a few seconds from their bar, Braeda looked around for any cop cars, then floored it, racing to the back alley where liquor and other shipments were received: a private little place on a seldom used, one way cut-through.

He shoved the gear shift into park. “Let me taste it,” he husked as she finished buckling his pants. She grabbed his cheeks and kissed him so deeply he thought he would choke on her tongue. Braeda moaned into her mouth at the taste of his own cum, and slipped a hand between her thighs, now swallowing her sounds. His fingers made a wet noise as he probed and played her. Chris’ body was trembling, and then she pulled her mouth away from his and panted his name, her hips jerking as she chased her own orgasm. He sped up and pressed harder, trying to fling her into the great abyss of ecstasy, but in the rear view mirror he noticed a green pickup truck rolling slowly down the alley. “Shit, straighten yourself up, sweetheart.” He looked around for a rag to wipe his hand off with, but came up empty handed and settled for slurping her juices off his hand instead.

Chris smoothed her dress back down with a snarl of irritation and then looked in the side view mirror. “Who the hell’s that?”

Braeda squinted. “I think it says… Al’s Storage.” When the truck parked right behind them, Braeda got out and Chris slid over, ready to speed off if she needed to. The kind of business she was in, you never knew who was friend or foe at first glance.

“You look lost, buddy!” Braeda called. “Can I help ya find something?”

The boy smiled. He looked down at the business card he held in his hand. “I think this is the right address… Do you know a pretty blonde named Vanessa? She asked me to deliver some stuff for her and I wanna be sure I knock on the right door.”

Chris shut the engine off and climbed out of the car. “This is the place, son. Let me just unlock the back door.” She pulled a ring of keys out, unlocked and opened the door, and then immediately called out for Vanessa. She heard footsteps on the stairs, and then the thin blonde with the big blue eyes was standing at the end of the hallway.

“Hey Madame!”

“There’s a kid outside who says you sent him here?” she asked, brows quirked in question and hands on her wide hips.

“Yes ma’am, I was being followed, so I had to throw ‘em off my trail.” Chris’ expression eased as she gave a single nod of acknowledgement. She gently pushed past the girl and walked into her office.

“Good girl. I trust you’re gonna at least give him a beer and a blow for his trouble.” Chris sat her purse down before opening the mail on her desk.

“Hell, I might just go all out for him. He’s young and cute, I bet he can outlast most of the guys I’ve been with lately.” She gave the Madame a sly grin. “I could take a lesson from you and Mr. Braeda… Go a little younger than I’m accustomed to and see what happens.”

Just as Chris was going to respond to that statement, Braeda came into view. “Where do you want these?” Two large boxes, no doubt heavy with paper and audio tapes, made the muscles in his arms stand out in his military issued t-shirt.

Vanessa reached over and grabbed the top box from him and said, “I know just the place, Mr. Braeda. Follow me!” They went upstairs to the wire room, where these tapes had been recorded and the photographs had been taken with spy cameras imported from Drachma. Braeda had only been in here twice before, and he always thought of his friend Kain Fuery. If anyone would go to a brothel and not get laid, it would be him, because the captain knew the communications officer would be too infatuated with the equipment in here to care about any of the girls.

“You want the rest up here, too?” The young man asked as Vanessa nearly ran him over in the hallway.

“Actually, Mr. Braeda can take care of the rest of the boxes,” she said, her bedroom eyes falling heavy on the boy. “What’s your name, honey?”

“Brandon, miss.” Braeda grinned at the blush that popped up on his face upon hearing the sounds of India and Jerrica hard at work with a client; unmistakable sounds coming from opposite ends of the hallway…

“Well, Brandon…” Vanessa said as her hand slipped into his. “Why don’t we step into my office and I’ll repay you.” The kid’s breathing seemed to come quicker and he swallowed nervously, but that didn’t keep him from following her into her room.

“Go easy on him!” Braeda called before she shut the door. “He’s just a kid!” He chuckled to himself and then went back downstairs to get the last of the boxes, locked the door on the wire room, and then went back downstairs to his lady. Easing the door shut, he said, “I believe we have some unfinished business, Madame.” The soft click of the door locking behind him was all the notice she needed.

“On the desk or-”

Large hands grabbed her hips as his mouth came down on hers. Braeda’s hands jerked the fabric of her dress higher and higher as he bent Christmas over the leather-topped desk. He grabbed a pair of scissors out of a coffee cup full of pens and pencils and cut the crotch of her panties away.

“Hey! These weren’t cheap, y’know!” she yelled at him.

“Like I won’t replace them!” he growled back, slipping himself deep inside her. He heard her grunt in acknowledgement, and then chuckled as she demanded the next pair be brilliant red instead of black. Then she was mostly silent, except for the whispered demands for ‘More,’ ‘Faster’, ‘Deeper’. When she came, he slowed a bit, building her back up again, and once more. She was nearly sobbing when his glistening, white ribbons spurted into her trembling womb.

“That’s my girl,” he gasped as he rested against her back for a moment. “No one’s ever made me come like you do, sweetheart.”

“Well, I am a professional, honey,” she smirked.

A playful slap to her ass assured her that he’d taken her words in jest. She always hated when he would pull out, but knew he had to; after all, tonight was a working night. She heard the file cabinet opening and felt a soft towel land near her head. “Time to clean up. Havoc’s coming by sometime after 9.”

“Good, I haven’t seen him in a long time.” They continued to chat with each other about their afternoon as they wiped off and straightened themselves. A fresh pair of panties was pulled from the file cabinet as well, and an upset Madame bemoaned the loss of her other pair in the wastebasket, despite her lover promising two pairs if she’d only quit bitching about them. With the lingerie problem settled, they walked hand and hand out to their bar and waited for the first customer to walk in, watching as a very happy young man with kisses on his cheeks the color of Vanessa’s lipstick walked dazedly down the stairs and out the back door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ring! Ring!

An old hand reached out and grabbed the phone. “Did you find anything?”

“No, sir. We’ve been through the apartment twice, in every drawer, every pocket of clothing, behind pictures, under the bed, between the mattresses, in the mattresses… We can’t find a single thing in here, though I’m sure she had something with her when she came in.” The major’s voice sounded exasperated and confused. “Your orders, sir?”

Grumman sighed. “Get out of there. Obviously she pulled a fast one on you and snuck out somehow. Whatever she had is likely in the Madame’s possession now.” His fist balled up and pounded the credenza behind his chair. “Dammit!”

“I don’t know what to say for myself, sir,” Maj. Greene apologized.

“It’s not your fault, Major. Chris’ girls are top notch when it comes to smuggling information and such. Their small organization is tenfold better than what this country employs. I’m not surprised, actually.” The Führer took a long drink of scotch before continuing. “I want round the clock surveillance on that brothel. I want to know the name and description of every single person who goes in and out over there. If anyone looks suspicious, radio in and we can send a scout.”

“Yes, sir.”

The line went dead and Eli slowly replaced the receiver into its cradle. “I guess we’re gonna play hardball, Christmas. I’d always heard love is blind, but I didn’t think it made you stupid, honey.” He turned back to his desk and looked directly at a photo frame, holding a picture of him as a Lt. Colonel, with his wife and beautiful daughter. “You know, Belinda,” he said as he took another drink from the glass with the amber scotch inside. “This is all your fault.”

His wife didn’t answer him, just continued to look back him, her face frozen in a soft happy smile, that forgiving expression she had when he would apologize for doing something stupid. Grumman wasn’t aware he was crying until warm droplets fell on his hand.

“Why did you have to die?” he cried. “If you hadn’t died… I would never have gone to her. I wouldn’t even have a place in my heart for her.” He pulled his glasses off. “It’s been so long since you’ve been gone… and I miss you as badly as I did that first night I slept by myself in our bed.” His shuddering sobs slowed and he wiped his face dry with a handkerchief he kept inside his jacket. A few deep breaths and a sip of burning scotch later and he was seemingly right as rain again. He stood up and turned his desk lamp off, then walked toward the door of his office.

‘She always said she never wanted to replace you, Belinda. She at least kept that promise. But you’re both gone now… What am I gonna do?’ he thought to himself as his secretary sent for his car to pick him up at the side entrance. ‘How am I gonna get over both of you?’

The question would keep him up half the night.


	4. Waiting and Watching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of Royai this chapter lol. There's mention of superheroes at one point, and my beta had a question as to whether or not the existed in 1920's Europe. Yes they did, and the earliest superhero was from 1867, a character named Spring Heeled Jack. He started out as a villain, then turned good guy, and had any number of gadgets and a secret hideout, and he even wore a costume that looks very similar to an early Batman style outfit. Zorro debuted in 1919, so yes, there were superheroes (and now you learned some Jeaopardy! trivia!)

“So,” Roy asked as Riza flipped her desk lamp off and strode to the door, purse on her shoulder and Hayate’s leash in her hand. “Have you given any thought to my suggestion?”

“I’ve been busy with work all day, General. I haven’t had much time to think about anything else.” A small smile worked its way on to her lips as he apologized for his impatient prodding. “It’s alright, sir. I understand.”

“Come home with me. Let me make us dinner and give you a back rub; enjoy a nice cocktail while we listen to the radio or something.” His eyes were pleading… Riza could feel her resolve crumbling.

“But I’ve got the dog and-”

“Nonsense!” he crowed as he put his hand at the small of her back and nudged her toward the door. “I’ll make him his own plate and give him his own glass to drink from. You’d like that, wouldn’t ya, boy?” He dropped a quick scratch to the top of the animal’s head, his tail wagging happily back and forth at the affection. “Besides… it’ll be a few extra hours we can spend together.”

She chuckled and said, “I guess the back rub is supposed to be one of the stress relieving treatments you want me to get?”

“I hope that’s just the beginning of the treatment, but yes,” he smirked.

Her expression changed back to the serious face she’d worn all day. “Sir, we can’t afford to be caught…”

“I can have dinner with my subordinate. There’s no law against that.”

“But you’re not supposed to go to one another’s place of residence,” she reminded him.

He opened the door for her, “Then we’ll eat out in the courtyard if you’re worried about that.” He stopped on the steps, people around them too busy in their own conversations to pay attention to what he had to say. “I just want to spend time with you outside of work, and prove to you that a change of command would be the best thing for you.” The way she looked at him, with hope in her eyes and a nervous blush on her cheeks, he wanted to grab her and kiss right there, assure her that everything would be alright.

“You’re really serious about this…”

“Damn right, I’m serious,” he said softly. “I want to rearrange things a little so we can be together. I’m tired of _wishing_ we could wake up next to each other every morning, tired of wishing we could do something as simple as hold hands and walk through the park together. I’m ready to make it happen.” He looked at his feet, then back at her. “I guess I’m being a little presumptuous. I guess I should be _asking_ you if this is something you want too, rather than forcing it on you.”

Riza held his gaze for a moment, drowning in his dark eyes like when he first came to stay with her and her father… She’d never seen eyes that were almost black before, one of the few traits his half Xingese mother passed to him. She straightened and gave Hayate’s leash a gentle snap, walking down the steps. When her commander didn’t follow, she called back, “I believe you owe me dinner sir.”

It didn’t take him long to catch up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Look at you, right at home _behind_ the bar of the infamous Christmas Inn,” Havoc teased as he came in, cigarette dangling from his mouth. Braeda smiled at him as he took a seat. “Tell me, how many hand jobs go down right here?” He bumped fists with his best friend as he unzipped his jacket.

“Zero,” the round captain replied. “Don’t matter what you ask for, you rent a room and you do it up there. This-” he gestured around the room, “is a bar. That up there,” he pointed at the ceiling, “is the brothel.”

“So your girls work the room rather than the corner, I get it,” he said as an ashtray was sat down in front of him. “Are you keeping the brothel after you expand?”

“Yep. At least for a little while. We’ll see how it goes. Chris and I are gonna remodel the upstairs next door and live up there. Whaddya want to drink?”

“Shit, I’m broke. Gas coming in this far into Central from out east is all I can afford.” He flipped his ashes. “I got enough for another pack of smokes and then I’ll be eating into my gas money.”

Braeda gave him frown. “I asked what you _wanted_ , not what you could afford.”

Havoc grinned. “In that case I’ll take a Dark Horse ale.” Braeda sat the dark beer down in front of him as Chris came out of the stock room. “Hey, sugar tits! How about a kiss for your favorite blond!?”

Christmas’ laughter was loud and genuine, and Braeda grinned when she threw her arms around him as she gave him a loud, wet smooch to each cheek, saying, “Jean, it’s so good to see you!”

“Good to see you too, Madame. How’s this bum treating you?” He helped her up onto the stool next to him.

“Better than anyone I’ve ever met. How’s country living these days?”

He snorted, “Same old shit, different day. Sorry I couldn’t make it in time for your party. Why the hell did ya have it on a Wednesday, anyway?”

“Two reasons: it’s our deadest night, so we were less likely to piss people off by closing the doors; and to break up the work week, make it seem like the weekend came early.” Chris leaned over and let Jean light her cigarette. “And because it was a cash bar-”

“That was just mean,” Jean added.

“-we turned a pretty good profit. We certainly missed you, it was a shame you couldn’t be there with us.” She nudged him. “So how’s Miss Jacqueline?”

“She’s drooling and sitting up by herself now,” he grinned. “I’m so glad it was Sciezka and not Becky I accidentally knocked up. Becky would be running for the hills already with how you can’t really understand what Jackie wants. But Sciezka always seems to know without any trouble. She’s a great mother.” If they didn’t think the mousy bookworm was perfect for the rough-around-the-edges sniper before, all that had to be seen was the way his face looked when he talked about her and their daughter. “Maybe when you guys go on your honeymoon you can find time to come down and visit for a day or two. I’m sure Sciezka would love to catch up.”

“Is your mom still giving you hell about not marrying her?” Braeda asked.

“You mean you can’t hear her bitching about it from here?” Havoc retorted, his dream-like grin fading into a scowl. “Every damn day, man… ‘That baby’s growing up in sin!’ It’s not like me and Sciezka planned on having Jackie. Hells bells, we’d only been dating like three months when she came up pregnant! That’s not nearly long enough to decide if you wanna spend the rest of your life with someone. I wish mom would shut her trap and leave us be.”

Chris patted his arm as he took a swig of his beer. “She doesn’t mean to be mean. But she should respect your decision to not rush into marriage. So what if things didn’t happen in the right order: dating, marriage, children. You’re taking care of both of them and being a stand up man about it.”

“Yeah, you coulda been like my old man and run when you found out,” Braeda huffed.

“Don’t let her get you down, Jean. You’re doing the right thing, and to hell with anyone who doesn’t understand.”

Jean took a drag from his smoke and smiled. “You’re a good woman, Chris. If something happens to Braeda, I’m next in line.” They watched as her mirthful smile fell away and her laugher quieted quickly.

“You might not want to say that out loud, Jean.”

“Why’s that?” asked Braeda, his eyes sliding over to her and watching her expression for any sign of fear or worry.

Christmas took a deep breath, and then told them both everything. She told them how Grumman threatened her, how he made a plea for her to change her mind about the wedding, how he offered her every luxury he could provide if only she would pick him instead… Braeda’s hands clenched into fists of frustration, suddenly understanding why the old man got up the night before and started walking to him with those unreadable eyes…

“I swear, Chris… If he lays one hand on you-”

“You’ll make sure to get a camera and take pictures and then report him to the police,” she interjected. “Last thing we need is for him to say we started this mess. The ball is in his court; let him make the first move.”

“And all those boxes that were delivered today, what’s that about?”

She smirked. “Vanessa brought me his… ‘receipts.’ I got enough information on him to send him out of that mansion on his scrawny ass if he decides to be a dick.” She winked at Havoc. “If you ever come here looking for privacy, you won’t find it. Every room upstairs is so bugged you’d need a fumigator to get them all.”

Havoc blew smoke up toward the ceiling. “And how long have you been taping your clients?”

“Oh… I’d say almost thirty years; since I opened the doors.” She slid off the barstool as both Havoc’s and Braeda’s jaws dropped. “I’ve got every session he’s ever paid for backed up in photographs, audio reels and written transcripts of the audio. He does not want to play any games with me.” The round woman flipped the switch on the jukebox, it’s pink and green neon lighting stuttering to life. “In fact, if you boys will excuse me, I need to start going through those boxes and pulling out what’s his and what’s not.” She turned to walk up the steps when Braeda stopped her.

“How much money did he put into this place over the years, be honest?”

Chris met his gaze and said, “Enough to buy the place next door three times.” She watched his lips press into a thin, angry line, and she laughed quietly. “It was only business, honey, I assure you. You’re the only one I’ve ever fallen for, and that’s because you treated me like a lady and not a warm hole. There’s nothing in me that feels anything for Grumman, no matter how much money he spent in here.”

“I won’t let him have you.”

“I have no intention of going to him,” she said gently. “You’re the one I go home with, not that old geezer. There’ll be a young lady dropping by later, she used to work here and volunteered to help me gather my intel. You probably won’t see much of me tonight because I’ve got so much stuff I’ve got to go through. Please send Melanie up when she gets here.” She went up the steps and they could hear the sound of her keys jingling in the lock of the door to the wire room, then the creak as it opened and the sound of it shutting.

“Hey,” Havoc said. “This is Chris, she’s not gonna run off to Grumman’s old ass.”

“He was her only customer for nearly ten years, and she’s been seeing him for fifteen.” Braeda poured himself a shot of vodka. Havoc’s brow furrowed… He’d been friends with the man long enough that he couldn’t recall him drinking anything stronger than lager; hard liquor straight like that… it almost made him wince at the sight. “I love her.”

“She loves you too, man. She’s not going anywhere.” Havoc offered him a cigarette, and lit it for him when he accepted and then lit one for himself. “Shit, she’d probably gun him down herself with that .22 in her tits. Get Roy to pull another Maria Ross and be done with it.”

“Well, I don’t care what he does to me. I’ll do latrine duty for the rest of my enlistment if I have to, even if I have to go to Briggs to do it. Just so long as he leaves her alone, I’ll jump through whatever hoop he sets in front of me. So long as I get to curl up behind her every night, he can do what he wants.”

Havoc smirked. “Quit being such a drama queen.”

“Who’s being a drama queen?!”

“You can practically see your cape flying in the wind, your superhero emblem on your chest and your fists on your hips, like you’re daring the villain to come take your girl away!” He was laughing now, watching as Braeda jutted his jaw into the air and assumed the position his friend was describing.

“Ha-HA evil Geezer-man! I, Super-Braeda, will protect the fair Lady Christmas from your dastardly deeds!” he said in a loud, overly macho voice. “And when she rides my love gun tonight, we’ll laugh at you and your flaky personality and old man breath! Ha-HAA!”

“Stop! You’re fuckin’ killin’ me here!” Havoc nearly fell off the barstool, then cried out, “Wait! I know what you need!” He ran behind the bar and grabbed a bar towel, holding it in place at Braeda’s neck as he held the other end like it was fluttering in a furious breeze. “Super-Braeda!”

Now they were both laughing. Havoc clapped Braeda on the shoulder. “Everything’s gonna be alright, man. Chris is already getting things in motion to keep him in line, you got nothing to worry about.”

Braeda nodded and thanked him for the reassurance. “Hey, before anything else happens and I forget… I wanted to know if you’d like to be my best man.”

“Of course! Might be the only wedding I’m in.” Braeda poured him another ale and the two talked of things that were much more interesting than Führer Grumman.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The directions were simple: use alchemy to break into the bar, and search the entire bar from top to bottom, using alchemy to open locks and find the evidence Chris Mustang was planning to use as blackmail against Führer Grumman. The young man sitting before Grumman and Major Greene might not have been a state alchemist, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a basic knowledge of simple alchemy. He could draw a transmutation circle and bust a lock like any other alchemist. And the best part was that all he wanted was a promotion to do it. He’d keep his mouth shut and lie under oath, so long as he got a promotion.

Cpl. Dieruff explained that he was nothing but a rebellious hooligan in his youth, something his mother was ashamed of. All he wanted to be able to do was be able to go home on furlough to visit his family, and make his mother proud of him again. The rank of Sergeant should be able to make his mother’s eyes wet with happiness.

Grumman pulled his glasses from his face and wiped them with the napkin from his lunch tray. “You drive a hard bargain, son. You realize if you’re caught I’ll have to deny everything?” The soldier gave a stiff affirmative. The Führer sighed. “Alright. I’m not exactly sure what we’re looking for. We didn’t get a visual on what the woman we were watching has for evidence, though I doubt it’s something as small as a single envelope tucked into a tiny purse,” he said scowling at Maj. Greene. “My guess is there will be several things, maybe some photos and some tapes. Possibly some kind of written record. I need you to smuggle all of it out.” Grumman turned to the Major. “I want you to go with him, personally double check everything he finds. If you find it, get it all and bring it to me at the mansion. You do that and I’ll make you a sergeant, Dieruff.”

The young man’s eye glittered at the prospect of promotion, and his freckled face grinned as he saluted stiffly. “Yes sir!” He gathered the items on the table back into the attaché case it came in, thanked the Führer again and turned to leave.

Major Greene watched as he left. “Are you sure Dieruff can handle this, sir?”

“Sure,” Grumman said confidently. “Before he enlisted in the army, he had a juvenile record for petty theft after using alchemy to break into people’s homes. I’m sure he’ll have no problem getting in and out without too many witnesses.”

“And what if Madame Christmas shoots him, sir?” He’d been briefed on that Derringer pistol she kept in her dress, but Dieruff hadn’t. “What if she comes back unexpectedly or something?”

“I highly doubt she’s that stupid. She knows she’d ruin Roy’s chance at Führer if she did that.” Still, it was a possibility… “We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.” The Major nodded in agreement. “I know her. She won’t leak anything right away. She’ll bait me with what she has in order to get what she wants. In fact, I’m sure I’ll be getting something soon from her. Maybe a photo or a short audio reel. Anything to prove she’s got something on me and that I should behave.” He yawned and took a sip of his tea. “Besides, you’ve got someone on stake out duty, right?”

“Yes sir.”

“Very good. You’d better catch up to him then.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was holding her close, the curtains and shades drawn tight and the radio softly playing some popular song. Hayate was laid out by the radiator, belly full of turkey and carrots, and Roy and Riza were relaxing on the sofa that dominated the small room. His cheek rested against her head, and her fingers trailed slowly up and down his arm.

“It’s getting late… I really should be going,” Riza murmured. Roy didn’t say anything, simply tightened his grip on her. She sighed contentedly. Maybe it was time to change things up a little bit… She certainly was enjoying just being wrapped up in his arms like this, and Hayate looked about as comfortable as she felt, his black and white feet up in the air as he snored on his back. “Did you remember to find some help for us today?”

“I put in my request when you were at lunch. I asked for two highly organized self-starters. It’s going to take a week or so, but yes, I did.” He brushed his lips over her golden strands… “Riza… will you ask for reassignment? Please?” he whispered.

It was a loaded question, and they both knew it. If she said yes, their whole lives would change, because if there was nothing keeping them from being together, they both knew they _would be together_. They would share whichever apartment was the biggest, in whoever’s bed was the biggest… They would walk the dog _together_ , and go out to dinner and dancing _together_. Everything they ever wanted to do as a couple that they couldn’t do now would be done and done often. The fairy tale of being able to get married and have children would become a reality, and all of this hinged on her answer alone.

“I’ve wondered for so long if we’d even know how to act if we could be together,” she said finally. “It always seems like one of those reoccurring dreams you keep having but you never get to see the end.”

“Don’t you think we’ve had enough nightmares come true, Captain?” he asked. “Don’t you think it’s about time we had a dream come to life? A life we can look forward to facing each morning?” Roy’s arms crisscrossed possessively over her chest. “Don’t you think it’s time something _good_ happened for you and I?”

“Of course, sir…” she answered as she turned her head to somewhat face him. “Nothing would make me happier than to stay by your side rather than at your back.”

“Then ask for the reassignment, and let me marry you, Riza.”

Her brows knitted together, “But who will watch your back if I’m not there? Who will make sure you make it to the Führer’s seat?”

He laughed. “You’re not the only one watching my back. There’s Miles and Scar, Fullmetal, Havoc, Braeda, my aunt…” He leaned down to kiss her, whispering, “I’m only one step away, and Grumman’s already tagged me as next in line. I want to make that last step with you beside me.” His lips caressed hers tenderly in the glow of the single lamp. When they broke for air, he asked her, “Riza, will you ask for reassignment, and then be my wife?”

Riza heard what he said very clearly, but what she was thinking of was something entirely different; she knew his scent, but this was the first time she could remember being so close to it. Even the night he spent with her after the party, he’d smelled of booze and that clean, spicy scent he carried was barely there. She imagined walking home from work with him, holding his hand or her arm in his, his smell permeating the air around them. She imagined waking up to him every morning, his face scruffy and hair a mess, and his pillow smelling like the cologne he wore. Her mind’s eye called up an image of eating supper together under blankets (that smelled like him) on the couch (that also smelled like him) and watching the snow falling, of long baths together in the huge slipper tub he had, drowning in the smell of that soap he favored… If ‘safety’ had a smell, if ‘love’ had a fragrance, it was Roy’s smell.

She didn’t realized how hard she was holding his hand. She let go and her fingers touched lightly on his chest. “Yes,” she breathed. He wasted no time in taking it away again, from kissing her deeply and threading his fingers into her hair. She turned in his lap and threw her arms around him. It felt good to say yes… It felt like victory after a long campaign, like sunshine on a cold day or cool water on a hot afternoon. It was relief. 

“I’ll do everything I can to make sure you don’t ever regret making this decision,” he said as they gasped for breath. “I’ll do whatever it takes to always make you happy.” She kissed him twice on the lips before climbing out of his lap.

“I really should go, sir… as much as I hate to.” Riza moved to grab her purse, and Roy got up and followed her to the door as she called for Hayate. “I’m sure you know we’ll be expected to have a big wedding. Foreign dignitaries and political powers and the press.”

“I’ll invite every person in this country, and maybe everyone in Xing too,” he grinned. “I want the whole world to be able to finally see what we’ve been hiding for so long.” He kissed her sweetly and continued, “We’ll have a grand ball for the reception, enough booze to give the entire country alcohol poisoning, the best music, the best food… And then on our wedding night,” he husked as he nibbled on her ear, “we’ll have the best sex we’ve ever had in our entire lives…” Roy chuckled darkly at her choked gasp.

“Then… Then I think we ought to make a vow that we won’t sleep together again until we’re married,” said Riza. “By the time that night rolls around, we’ll both want it so bad that there’s no way it could be anything less than incredible.”

Roy groaned into her neck. “That’s gonna be so hard with us living together!”

“I’m not moving in until we’re married either.”

“Riza!” He sounded like a child who wasn’t getting his way. “Then what’s the point if you won’t _be here_ with me!?”

“You’d be surprised how quickly a wedding can be arranged, Roy. It’ll only be a couple of weeks, two months tops. We’ll be fine. Besides, we’ll be able to come and go to either apartment anytime… We’ll have to adjust to not hiding anymore. I think this will be a good transitioning period for us.”

“Don’t expect me to not try and make you change your mind about the sex, though,” he said as he waggled his eyebrows. “I know how to make a woman beg, you know.”

“I bet I can last longer than you can,” she smirked as she turned away from him and latched the leash to Hayate’s collar.

“I might surprise you with how well I can resist your charms, Captain.” He opened the door for her, kissing her once more before she walked out into the hall. “Care to make a wager on this?”

She thought for a moment, then smiled. “If you win, I’ll wear whatever ridiculous get up you want to see me in on our wedding night. If I win… _you_ have to wear it. First one to admit they can’t stand it anymore loses.” She stuck her hand out to seal the deal.

Roy took her hand and shook it. “May the best player win.”

“Thank you, I plan on it,” she said with a grin.

He pulled her back into his arms one last time, kissing her. “Be careful and call me when you get home. I love you.” 

Riza smiled and began to walk away. “I know, sir.”

“Hey, aren’t you ever going to say it back?” he called.

She stopped, hating that hurt look on his face. “On the day I get my new assignment, I’ll be glad to say it. Until then, just know that I return the sentiment whole heartedly.” The blonde waved to him as she and her dog descended the stairs and Roy sagged against the door frame.

“She said ‘yes’.” His smile could have lit up the entire street. He danced back into his apartment, overjoyed with the night’s turn of events. Closing the door, he whooped, “She said ‘yes’!”


	5. Upping the Ante

Grumman sat sipping at chamomile tea, looking out at Central's night time cityscape from the balcony of his mansion. The air was just right tonight, and the manicured garden below offered up its delicate perfume of gardenias, crepe myrtles, peonies and any number of other pretty flowers he didn't know the names for. This was nice… for the first time in days he felt relaxed and calm. Dieruff was at the brothel, he and Maj. Greene already inside and searching, and he had Braeda's new assignment inked and lying on the rolltop desk in his bedroom. It would be an 18 month inventory and census of Youswell, a tedious and tiresome assignment on the edge of the Great Desert… It was perfect payback, and would give him plenty of time to convince Chris she was making a mistake.

Draining the last of the tea from the cup, he walked back into his bedroom. He found his favorite housekeeper, sweet Valerie, laying out his wardrobe for the next day and gathering his dirty clothes to be taken down to the laundry room. She'd left him a fresh, cold glass of milk (as he liked to add a bit of liqueur and have a proper nightcap) and stopped to quickly straighten a painting on the wall. A wicked gleam came to his eye…

"Valerie, come here dear girl," he said sweetly.

The girl, who _definitely_ wasn't a _girl_ , more like a woman of thirty-five, looked around for a moment for a suitable place to set her load of linens down, and ended up just putting them on the floor before coming to her master's call. "Yes, your Excellency?"

He sat down at the desk and untied the strings of his pajama pants, spreading his legs apart so that she could kneel between them… "Please me, my dear." Even after all the times he'd made this request of her, her cheeks would still flush crimson at the suggestions he made.

"Of course, my Führer," she said as she gracefully fell to her knees and began to fish his manhood from his silk pants.

Grumman's breath always hitched when her mouth first wrapped around him… Though he was in love with Chris Mustang and would do anything to get her away from that lard ass Captain, he could admit, to himself at least, that he was going to miss Valerie's blowjobs. She was _great_ at giving them, better than Chris, and that was saying something. But still, losing this to get everything else about Chris that he loved would be worth it.

His hand landed softly on the neat bun she kept her hair twisted in, and he encouraged her efforts with appreciative words and little whispered pseudo-endearments. Then he changed gears…

"I know you're one of Christmas' informants," he husked, and Valerie's head stopped bobbing in mid-stroke.

She'd been found out! But how? Valerie and Vanessa were always so careful to code and conceal every bit of contact they had… Who had found them out? Who had blown her cover? She didn't say anything, simply kept her kneeled position with the Führer's cock in her mouth.

As if he were reading her mind, he murmured, "Only one other person knows that my most sensitive place is my stomach, and that's the Mad Madame herself. The first time you kissed and licked me there, I knew."

Valerie closed her eyes in defeat, then began to slowly suck him off once more.

"And you continue on?"

She released him with a _pop_ from her lips. "What's to be done? So you know? I still must follow my orders, your Excellency." Once again she captured his length into her warm mouth and began to suck him vigorously, using both her hands and her mouth to shove him into the abyss of pleasure.

Gasping with Valerie's efforts, Grumman gritted his teeth and staved off his orgasm, fighting to get out what he had to say to her in the first place. "Va-Valerie! I know she wants you to give her a recount of the things we've done together!" Oh God, she was doing that thing with her tongue and his glans! "She wants to blackmail me and she wants you to help!" She hummed an affirmative, nearly sending him into spasms right there. "If you- dammit, that's so good! If you keep your mouth shut! Ahhh! Stop, Valerie please, this is important!" He caught his breath as she finally released him, wiping her saliva away with the back of her hand. "If you swear to keep those things secret… I'll double your salary and provide you with a room in the mansion, a nice bed and the softest sheets to lie on."

Valerie's mouth worked soundlessly for a moment. She lived in the servant's house right now, crammed in with about a dozen other women and slept on a cot that would make the soldiers who'd served in Ishval pity her. _Double_ her salary!

"Just think," he said as his hand gently cupped her cheek, "You can put a headstone on your mother's grave… You'd be able to afford to put your ill sister into a better medical facility with more advanced medicine, or even fix up your family home and hire a live-in nurse for her." He saw tears welling up in her eyes. "You're a wonderful maid, a good person, and you certainly deserve all those things."

"Sir… I have no idea what to say…"

"Say you'll call Chris Mustang in the morning and tell her you can't help her, not this time." His wrinkled hand came away from her face. "That's all you have to do. And all that I promised will be yours." He watched as she began to weep, and he bent over and gathered her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Come now, no need for tears. She'll be upset, no doubt, but I think she would understand."

She wiped her eyes, then rose to her feet and lifted her skirts and slips. Valerie slid her panties down and Eli leaned back in the chair, holding himself upright for her. His favorite housekeeper slid down onto him and began to ride him the way he liked, his face buried in her unbuttoned bodice until he filled her barren womb to the brim, gasping "I will keep your secrets, your Excellency!"

Between her breasts, he smiled wickedly to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris 1, Grumman 1.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Major," the young enlisted man and amateur alchemist said, "I don't think it was such a good idea to leave the blueprints lying in the back seat like that." The structural drawings weren't even rolled up; they were spread haphazardly across the worn leather with various other supplies lying on top of them.

"I don't think the people who frequent this end of town care much about blueprints, Dieruff." He tugged on a black ski mask as Dieruff strapped on a pair of fingerless gloves. "Let's get a move on, Corporal." He climbed out of the car and slammed the door shut, as if he weren't trying to break into a bar and confiscate career ending evidence involving their current King and Führer. Dieruff rolled his eyes in the dark, wondering how much damage his commanding officer had already done to this mission.

He exited the car into the back alley quietly, nudging the door gently closed with his hip. He grabbed the prototype night vision goggles and handed a pair to Greene, then reached for the blueprints of the Madame's bar and brothel. Three floors: the main floor of the bar, the upper floor of the brothel, the cellar below used to house the beverages that kept both businesses flourishing.

"Ah, let's see…" Dieruff pondered as he looked over the three sheets of enormous paper. He had the plans for the basement unfurled and examining them closely under the red glow of a small lantern.

"We should start in her office," Maj. Greene said much too loudly.

"If I may disagree sir, I believe that would be entirely too obvious."

Greene narrowed his eyes. "And why is that?"

"Because if I were running a whorehouse where surveillance was of the utmost priority, that would be the first place anyone would look. I have a feeling we're dealing with someone much more intelligent than that, sir," he murmured. He pointed at the blueprint. "If she's hiding something, I'm willing to guess she had it put in after the building passed its inspections. It won't be here on the drawings, but I'll be able to find out through alchemy where it's at. All I have to do is find out where the drawings and the building don't match."

"I don't follow," Greene whispered.

"Say you buy a coat from a store, and then you have it tailored to put in an extra pocket. The original pattern for the coat wouldn't include that extra pocket, but that doesn't mean it isn't there in the coat. Basically, we're looking for that secret pocket in this building." He pointed to the schematics of the basement. "There's lots of extra space in this cellar. That would be an easy place to put it, because the only thing down there is support beams and a ramp. It could be divided any number of ways to include a secret room."

The Major watched as Dieruff poured over the drawings, looking and searching for possible places. "We will still check her office, Corporal. She could have some of it in there, even if it's not all of it. And how do you know so much about this anyway?"

"My father was an architect. He showed me how to read all kinds of blue prints. It's why I wanted to learn to do alchemy in the first place. I wanted to help my father bring his plans to life in a quicker way. But then he ran off with the receptionist at his firm, and I turned to using my alchemy for breaking and entering. Thieving was a much faster way to turn Cenz than waiting to be hired for an alchemy job repairing a roof or fixing holes in the plaster." He flipped through to the plans of the second floor. "If I can't find any discrepancy between the blueprints and the construction of the building itself, I can tap into the electrical system and find it through the wiring. Don't worry, we will definitely find it."

A few moments later and Dieruff said he was ready. He drew a simple circle above the doorknob to unlock it, and they stepped inside, their eyes adjusting to the strange negative green image the night vision goggles provided them. They stopped in the back hallway and Dieruff scratched a stub of chalk until a larger circle formed, and using the skills he'd honed early in his youth, he felt his way through the mix of brick, mortar, wood and plaster.

The blueprints on the second floor, the brothel, seemed to match. All the rooms and water closets matched up just as they should (and good for them because it sounded like there was still someone here, working hard and loudly for their money). The young Corporal felt his way through the building down to the first floor where they stood now. Here was where he found their first lead. There was a small room just off to the back left of the Madame's office, taking out the back corner of what should have been part of the stock room where a very large sink and some storage shelves were. Then there was a much smaller space in the wall, likely a wall safe, but worth inspecting anyway. Then he checked the cellar. It felt like it should be exactly as the drawings said, but somehow the room felt shorter to him. That was definitely something to check out as well.

He removed his hands from the wall and began rubbing the circle off with his sleeve. "You could be correct about the office, sir. Let's begin there." Thankfully, Greene decided to follow Dieruff's lead and creep quietly down the hall the few paces to the Madame's office. As expected, the door was locked. A simple transmutation circle fixed that, and then they were in. Maj. Greene began opening her every drawer he could get his hands on while Dieruff concentrated on finding the clues he needed to find the secret room. Finally he spotted a very out of place bolt in the floor, and when he stepped on it, a panel of tar stained wallpaper swung out and opened just an inch. Greene looked up and grinned. "Told you it would be in here."

Dieruff chuckled as he pulled the door open and pulled the chain dangling from the fixture in the ceiling. The bare bulb revealed a gleaming pink porcelain sink and toilet, outfitted with a seat that had roses painted on it, along with a fluffy pink rug and a poster of a film called 'Starry Eyes'. "I don't think it's in here, sir. Not unless she was going through it on the pot."

"A private bathroom?" Green asked as he pulled his goggles off and looked into the small room. "She's got terrible taste in décor."

"Let's check the wall safe," Dieruff said as he closed the secret door. The miniature vault was hiding behind a painting of a young Xingese woman in full makeup, hiding diminutively behind a fan with bedroom eyes that seemed to follow you around the room. Greene pulled the painting off the wall and Dieruff drew a circle beside the spinning vault handle in the middle of the door. It unlocked with no problem, but they still didn't find what they were looking for.

Greene reached in. "Looks like it's their ledgers."

"And whatever this is," Dieruff said as he pulled out a small, round teak box. "I doubt it's what we're looking for." He opened it up to find a dainty ring inside, old fashioned looking and in bad need of a good polishing. He covered the box and slipped it back inside. "Well, this isn't it, sir. I suggest we check the cellar."

They found the ramp in the back of the utility room, and they crept down slowly. There were bottles of wine, cases of imported beer, kegs of draft and various other bottles of hard liquor as well as sodas and spare glasses of all kinds. Dieruff scowled, still not understanding why this room just felt… _off_ to him. When they reached the end of the shelves, he stood and looked the room over from this new angle, trying to put his finger on why it was off, what it didn't feel right. The support beams were all there, all eight of them-

"Wait, that's it!"

Greene looked back at him, watching as he scrawled a circle on the wall. "What?"

"There's ten support pillars in the drawing, I only see eight." As the alchemic array came to life, he felt it then: an aluminum barrier between the foundation, successfully dividing this part of the building off from the limestone of the rest of the basement… something that could only have been done by another alchemist. That's why the basement didn't feel altered at first. There was no extra construction to the actual structure; it had been sort of separated from the rest of the building with the aluminum buffer.

Cpl. Dieruff began looking for the trigger in the floor, similar to the one he'd found that triggered the secret door for the upstairs bathroom. This one was a little harder to find, but he found it; it was in the form of a false light switch. The door opened exactly like the one upstairs, and when they opened it up, their jaws dropped. Two massive telephone switchboards, all wired and tapped into individual audio taping devices, all labeled to different phones within Central Command.

"What the hell is going on in this whorehouse?" breathed Dieruff.

"Full scale intelligence on the top brass, her own son included," the Major said quietly. "The Madame's been doing this for so long that she's better at it than our own government."

"But why? Does she have some kind of vendetta against every person she's serviced?" He took a good look at one of the recorders. It was a model he'd never even seen before, and written in the Cyrillic alphabet of Drachma; the finest audio equipment on the planet came from there.

"Ever since the Promised Day, there aren't very many people left who trust the senior staff completely. I'm sure that's part of it. But don't think of all this as necessarily bad. Even the kind of dirt Chris Mustang has on Führer Grumman doesn't mean the info is always to destroy someone. Sometimes a guy needs to prove his alibi, and this also comes in handy for that."

"Speaking of which, where's the surveillance for the brothel itself?" There was nothing in this room but wire taps for headquarters, and certainly no boxes of evidence.

"Maybe we're thinking too hard," Greene offered. "Maybe she's got it tucked away in one of the rooms upstairs, hiding in plain sight."

Dieruff nodded. "Everyone knows how guarded and secretive she is in the first place, it would make sense if what we're looking for was just sitting there somewhere." The two of them carefully covered their tracks, then proceeded back upstairs and halted at the staircase to the brothel.

"Someone's certainly getting their money's worth," Green whispered as the sounds of fabulous fucking floated down the steps.

"Sorry, Major, but I'm beginning to suspect _that_ isn't what it seems either." He turned to him. "You've been staking this place out for a few days now. Do you recall anyone ever staying behind?" When he shook his head no, he bit his lip to keep from calling him an idiot. Up the narrow stairs they went, still creeping along just in case there really was someone upstairs. The first door they came to was unlocked, and inside was only a bed and a simple wash basin on a stand. The next room was the same, and the third room they hit pay dirt.

"Here we are," Dieruff cooed victoriously over the brothel's smaller, though more thorough set up. More Drachman audio recorders, two Drachman spy cameras set into the walls on either side of the room, a complex sort of periscope system that allowed the person within to look into any one of the rooms and see an overhead view of the bed… Dieruff was impressed.

"This is it here, Corporal. This is what we'll be taking back with us," the Major said as his booted foot gently kicked a stack of 5 metal totes. They took them down to the car and then Dieruff said he wanted to go in ad be sure he'd erased all the circles, and while he did that, Maj. Greene called Grumman from the phone under the bar. He poured himself a beer from the draft line and listened as Grumman picked up the phone.

"A double on the rocks, mister." _'Objective successful, sir.'_

"Ah, just what I needed. Keep 'em coming, son, I want to put this long day behind me." _'Excellent. Come back to the mansion, I'll open the back gate.'_

"You got it." _'Yes, sir.'_

Grumman hung up the phone that had rung privately to his bedroom, then cackled as he inked in the date on Braeda's orders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris 1, Grumman 2.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Capt. Hawkeye," Roy said as he opened the door to the office. "I'd like for you to meet the newest members of our team, 1st Lt. Sabina Brocar and 1st Lt. Haines Warrick. I'd appreciate it if you could begin showing them how things are done around here." The two newcomers saluted her when she stood up.

"As you were. I don't like to waste time, so let's start right away." She handed them each a notepad from her desk drawer. "And I don't intend to waste time repeating myself either." The others watched as she led them around the room, telling them and showing them what exactly would be expected of each of them. It only took about an hour or two for the entire run down of daily operations, and then she sat them each at a desk and ordered them to jump right in.

They looked frazzled already, and each referenced their notepads from time to time, and then Mustang declared it was lunch time and ordered them all out. Falman and Fuery introduced themselves and assured them the job wasn't as difficult or stressful as their superior made it seem. The two seemed to relax a little at that, and proceeded to get to know their coworkers better down in the mess hall.

"You're going to scare them away, Captain."

"They need to know up front what's expected of them. I won't sugarcoat their duties, sir." She reached into a drawer to dig out a fresh bottle of correction fluid when she felt her commander's arms come around her.

"Everything's going to be fine, stop trying so hard." He kissed her cheek as she sagged into his embrace. "They'll come in tomorrow and get to it right away, and it'll get easier and easier for them as time goes on. We'll all help them out too, you don't have to raise them on your own, Riza."

Whenever he used her first name in the office, it melted her heart. The blonde woman sighed. She knew he was right, and as much as it was going to irk her, she did have learn to ease up a little. "I'm sorry. It's just my nature. I'll apologize to them when they get back." She turned her head and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you for being so patient with me."

"Go get something to eat," he said, letting her go and going back to his own desk. "After that, I'd like for you to put in your transfer." He caught her nervous eyes. "The way you're going they'll be old pros in three days. And I don't want to wait any longer than I have to… to have you." Roy's eyes were dark and smoldering, and he held her rapt attention for a few seconds before she huffed a reminder about their wager. "You just wait until your transfer goes through, then I can really up the ante, Captain."

"Indeed, and so can I," she smirked as she rose from her seat and went to get some fuel for her growling stomach.

The General brought out a couple of sandwiches from some place in his desk, preferring to eat in quiet than in the noisy officer's mess, and was just about to take a big bite of it when his aunt's future husband walked in the door, looking haggard and ill-rested. "You look like hell, Braeda."

"Long night."

"I don't want any details, Captain," Roy warned as he scowled at his lunch.

"No, it wasn't anything like that. I don't know what Chris has told you, probably nothing knowing her…" He flopped down into his chair and rubbed tiredly at his face after locking the door. "Grumman threatened her the other day, didn't say exactly what he would do, but he made it clear to her that if she and I are gong to marry than I have to share her with him, or else."

"Then she's digging through what's she's got on him to keep him in line I imagine," Roy said with his mouth full, leaning down and pulling out the bottle of whiskey he kept in his desk for just such occasions. He took a swig and then offered the bottle to Braeda, who took a small gulp and passed it back.

"That's not even the half of it. Of course she sent Vanessa to get the stuff, and she was tailed the whole time. She tried to throw them off by making whoever was watching her think she had it on her instead of in the crates she had delivered to the bar. They completely obliterated her apartment, Roy. It looked like the place had been ripped to shreds by a pack of rabid mountain lions." He rested his head in his hand. "So Vanessa ended up staying the night on my couch, and then when we got up this morning things got worse."

Roy swallowed his bite of roast beef on rye. "Worse?"

Braeda sighed in exasperation. "Madame decided she wanted to move the goods… only to find they'd been taken in the night."

Roy grunted as he took another swallow of whiskey. "There's more intel in those crates than they realize. It's not just Grumman, it's every man who's been in there for years I'd imagine."

"Yeah. And now we got nothing."

"What about his maid?"

"He's doubling her salary in exchange to keep her mouth shut. Madame can't afford to make a counter offer, so we have zilch on him."

They sat in pondering silence for a moment, the gears in their minds turning as to what, if anything, could be done. And an idea struck him. "I'm sure you know Grumman is Riza's grandfather. Maybe she can ask him to put an end to all this before it spirals out of hand; talk some sense into him."

"I dunno, sir," Braeda said as he laid his head down for a moment. "I don't want to drag her into the middle of this."

"She's already in the middle of this. When I asked her to marry me last night, she said yes; that will make you and the Madame family to her now."

"And the frat regs?" his question was muffled by his jacket sleeve.

"She's putting in for a transfer after lunch. I got two lieutenants in here to help with the work load, and she's already got them half way whipped into shape around here." He opened the second sandwich. "She cares for my aunt very much, and she knows how much the Madame cares for you. If she can talk to Grumman and help in some way, I know she wouldn't mind."

Braeda didn't know what to say. So he said the only thing he could, "Thank you, sir."

Roy waved his appreciation away as he dug into the rest of his meal. "Why don't you rest until the others get back? You look like you could use a little nap, so long as you don't mind me sitting here dozing off as well."

"Doze away," Braeda said as he closed his eyes. Quiet filled the room, the only sound being muffled chewing and the soft thud of a whiskey bottle being sat down on the General's desk occasionally. Then the room was silent, and both men fell soundly asleep, not understanding the hell they would have to pay if a certain Hawk returned to find them both snoozing.

* * *

"Oh, did you hear about the girl down in requisitions? I heard she was sneaking around on her husband, supposedly with this guy at the café on Richland Ave." The little brunette secretary was munching on a salad at her desk, phone in her ear and carrying on with a friend stationed at the armory on the other side of Central Command. "And someone said she might be pregnant by him but I haven't seen her in person recently, so I don't-" A shadow fell across her desk and she looked up to find the Führer himself standing there glaring at her. "Gotta go, Holly, I'll see you after work!" she said hurriedly before slamming the phone down.

The woman stood up and saluted, making a frightened apology, to which Grumman smiled. "It's alright, my dear, I didn't notice your lunch until just now! I thought you were on the clock gabbing about one of our flock." He handed her a manila envelope… the one that contained Braeda's new orders. "If you could put a rush on that, I'd be grateful."

"Of course sir!" she said. Opening the envelope, she gave a little giggle, "It seems transfers are all the rage today. I've had three before this one, one of which really surprised me." She leaned in close and whispered, "Capt. Riza Hawkeye is transferring out from under Gen. Mustang! Do you believe it sir?"

His eyes widened, and then his smile crinkled up the corners of his eyes. "May I see Capt. Hawkeye's new orders?"

"Well, she's put in the request to transfer, sir… but she doesn't have any orders yet."

"Then assign her as my personal aide, and put a rush on both of them. In fact, make sure they both go through by tomorrow evening."

"Forgive me sir," the girl squeaked, "but don't you already have an aide?"

"Yes, but there's nothing that says I can't have two, right? I want her under my command, young lady!"

"Yes sir!" The young lady sat back down at her desk, pushing her salad aside to get busy typing up the necessary paperwork for each order. "I'll have them ready for you to sign tomorrow morning."

"Excellent, I appreciate your swift efficiency, Private. Carry on!"

As he strode away, he thought to himself, _'Ah! A bit of good luck! Looks like that boy's finally going to make my granddaughter his First Lady.'_ Somehow, his indigestion seemed to ease a little after that, and his back didn't seem to ache like it did on the way down to the personnel office. _'It won't be long, Christmas… You and I will be living it up and joining our families together in the most anticipated wedding this nation has ever seen. And once their union is complete… Then it will be_ our _turn.'_

* * *

Roy loved dogs. It was a fact that endeared him to Riza even when they were young and he was staying with her and her eccentric father. When he asked if he could walk Hayate on their way to a Xingese restaurant after work, she grinned and handed him the lead. Roy spoke to the dog as if he would answer him, asking him about what he thought of different billboards and posters along the way, telling him that trees made nicer pissing spots than fire hydrants because at least trees didn't rust or carry an odor that even the dirty acid rain of Central couldn't wash away… And Hayate, he seemed livelier around Roy than anyone else she had contact with.

He was good with dogs as far as she could see; did that mean he would be good with children too? Anxious butterflies twisted in her belly… _Children_ … Right now with their abstinence pact and her birth control pills, there wouldn't be any children for a little while. But when she closed her eyes and tried to picture the scene they were making at the Red Dragon, she could picture Roy holding a toddler on his lap, cracking jokes and making faces to the little one just like he was doing with the dog.

"Hey," he said, breaking her thoughts. "Are you even on this planet? What had you so far away?"

She blushed a little and then chuckled. "I was thinking about three year olds." When he gave her a weird look, she clarified, "A three year old with dark hair and brown eyes. Or maybe blond hair and black eyes…"

He seemed to slump a little, despite the goofy grin that hung on his face. "The laws of genetics say he'll look like me. Dark genes are dominant, and I have the darkest hair and eyes between the two of us."

" _He?_ " she asked.

"Of course," he said, his tone more or less questioning her intelligence. "Everyone knows the amount of sex a couple has determines the sex of the baby. If you have a lot of sex you have a girl, and if you don't you have a boy." He patted Hayate on the head. "And since we're staving off sex until we're married, we probably will have a boy first."

"So if I want a girl first I have to lose the bet."

Roy grinned smugly. "Yes."

Riza bit into a piece of bourbon chicken. "Good thing I've always wanted sons." She laughed as Roy choked on his water. Once he'd recovered, she said, "I'm almost sorry to see it end."

"See what end?"

"Our professional closeness. I'm going to miss our morning routine together, our boys in the office… I've been with you at work for so long that it's going to feel strange for a little while." She looked down at her plate.

"Just think of all the time we'll get to spend together outside of work, and the fact that I can do something as harmless as hold your hand in public or put my arm around you when you're cold as we're walking home. What we'll be gaining is worth what we'll be giving up." His booted foot slid close to her own. "Trust me, Riza… I'm right there on the verge of becoming Führer. You won't have to shoot me in the back, I swear it. And this has all been a long time coming. It will take some getting used to, but we deserve it. Yes, it'll be the end of a very long era for us. But it will also be the beginning of a better era, a longer era, and we'll get a chance at happiness before our lives are over." He nudged her hand gently with his, pretending to grab the soy sauce, and then whispered loud enough for only her to hear, "I love you so much."

She looked up at him, knowing it was finally the right time, and she replied, "And I love you." He gazed at her with grateful eyes and his hand pressed against hers… She could feel him trembling.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that. Thank you."

They finished their meal and he walked her home, stepping in when they arrived and pressing her hard against the wall in her foyer. He kissed her and held her and begged her to tell him again, and it wasn't long before they'd gotten each other half undressed before Riza stopped him and reminded him of their bet.

"We can call this round a draw," he said as he kissed a trail down her neck to her collarbone. "No penalty if we both want this." His hands pulled her hips closer to his and ground through thick wool pants to demonstrate just how badly _he_ wanted it.

"So you admit you want it?" Riza asked hopefully.

"Yes, yes… I want it. I want _you_."

"Then I guess that makes me the winner," she smirked.

Without warning, he shoved his hand down the front of her military trousers and underneath her soft cotton panties, unceremoniously delved between her lips and found her to be sticky with her own juices. He yanked his hand back out and showed her his hand. "Don't prematurely declare this war won, sweetheart. You want me just as bad."

"But I didn't admit anyth-"

"Your body is saying what your mouth won't. Now do you agree that this one is a draw or do I stop driving you crazy with lust and just go home?" They panted for a moment while Riza made her decision. When strong fingers jerked at his belt and tugged him in the direction of her bedroom, he had his answer.


	6. New Orders

It was late. The street lights glowed a honey yellow and only the seediest of society was still roaming around, most of them near the greasy spoon and the cluster of bars along Plumeria Parkway; a pretty name for an ugly part of town. Among the stumbling drunks, prostitutes and other unsavory people walked a man on a mission.

The heavy front door at the Christmas Inn swung open. "Hey, Roy!" came India's inner city accent. "The usual?" she asked as she began pouring him a double on the rocks.

"I'll be right back," he said, marching on toward his aunt's office. At first, he started to just open the door, like he'd always been able to do in the past. But at the last second he'd remembered how one: Braeda had mostly taken over operations behind the scenes, and two: he'd heard from Vanessa that the next piece of furniture they were going to break was Chris' desk if they weren't careful. He knocked loudly and said, "Can I come in?"

Sure enough, there was some quiet shuffling he could hear through the door, some dark chuckles from both parties, then his aunt calling, "Sure!"

When Roy opened the door, the smell of sex assaulted him and he noted the sheen of sweat at his subordinate's brow. "Been busy, I take it?" he quipped as he surveyed the messy desk.

"If you really want to know what we were doing, I'd be glad to pick up where we left off before you just _had_ to visit." Madame was red faced too, but not from embarrassment, rather exertion. She'd been riding Braeda as he sat in her chair… and when Roy realized that he nearly gagged at the visual of such a thing.

"Spare me, please. I only came to pick up my mother's ring"

Suddenly the Madame's face changed from mildly amused to genuinely happy. "Oh Roy-boy, I'm so happy for you!" She came over to hug him but he protested, saying he didn't want any 'foreign fluids' coming into contact with his clothing. "When are you going to give it to her?"

"Well, first it needs to be cleaned up, have the prongs checked and be sure it's in excellent condition before I give it to her. Thankfully this should be close in size, so I won't have to worry with having to deal with that. If all goes well, her transfer will go through within a few days. I plan on giving it to her when she gets her orders." He blushed a little, "I already asked her and she said yes, but I still want to do it the right way, and in front of as many people as I can. We've been hiding everything for so long… I can't wait to kiss her in front of people, show everyone how happy we are together."

"I don't remember if I told you earlier," Braeda said from behind the desk, "but congratulations. You two deserve it."

"No, we don't deserve anything but a firing squad," Roy said grimly. "But aside from that day, I want the rest of them to be as wonderful as possible." He grinned, turning away from both of them. "As you were, Captain," he ordered as he walked back to the bar to retrieve his drink.

"Yes, sir!" Braeda saluted, and then beckoned his lady with a crooked finger and waggling eyebrows.

* * *

The next few days were routine. The new lieutenants were settling in just fine with Falman and Fuery's help, and just as predicted, they were soon old pros at the rules and regulations of Capt. Hawkeye's strict work ethic. The team was hard at work muddling through their daily quota of forms and papers when a Major knocked on the door.

"Excuse me, Gen. Mustang," he said as he snapped a salute. Roy acknowledged him and the Major looked back down at the top envelope in his hand. "May I speak with Capt. Riza Hawkeye, sir?"

The room looked over at her. Mustang gave her a single nod and she stood up, saying, "I'm Capt. Hawkeye, sir."

The man opened up a manila envelope and said, "You're being reassigned to the Führer's personal aide staff, Captain. You are to report for duty tomorrow morning in the Führer's office at 1000 hours." He handed the new orders to her and saluted Mustang without any further reaction, though the office she stood in was alive with excitement.

And that's when Roy stood up and walked over to her, all eyes on the both of them. His hands gently grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. "It appears you are no longer under my command, Captain."

Braeda, Falman and Fuery were watching them with knowing grins, and Riza couldn't fight the trembling in her bottom lip. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. This would be the first place then, the first people to know that they were together… "Yes, it does."

He looked around the room. "Would you agree that our dear Hawk doesn't have to do a damn thing I tell her to?" Murmurs of agreement came from the others as Roy reached into his pocket, where a Xingese style teak box had been riding for days. He dropped to one knee in front of her, and the newcomers to the office looked on with gaping mouths. "Riza… I know you said yes already, but I wanted to do it right." He saw tears in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. "I've known you longer than I've known anyone. I've spent more time with you than my parents, my aunt… I promised your father I would always look after you, I promised you I would always be there for you… Riza Hawkeye, will you please marry me?" He pulled the dainty ring from the box; a tanzanite and sapphire cocktail ring that sparkled in the afternoon sunlight spilling in the window.

Riza didn't trust herself to speak, only nodding her head vigorously as he slipped the ring on her finger. She tugged him to his feet and they shared their first public kiss in their office as their team surrounded them with congratulatory pats on the back for both of them. Just as Roy took her hand to show off her ring, the Major from only minutes before was back. "Sorry to interrupt, sir" he said, saluting again and seemingly not surprised at the way Mustang and Hawkeye were conducting themselves now that the frat regs were not a problem for them. "Requesting permission to also speak to Capt. Heymans Braeda."

"What?" Braeda said as he turned and walked to the man in the doorway.

"Says here you're being transferred to a General Perrigo for an inventory and census of Youswell. You are to report for duty by Wednesday morning, 0800 hours." The major handed the orders to him, saluted one last time and left again, leaving Braeda, and now Roy, to look over the papers. It showed that Perrigo had requested him, but they both knew better than that. Perrigo and Grumman were about as close as two old geezers could be without being bed buddies. They always played the 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine' game, only this time, Braeda's assignment was the prize.

"Goddamn it," he growled. He flopped down in his chair and poured over the orders, searching for any evidence of Grumman's involvement with them, but he couldn't find a single scrap of a clue. Nothing was out of place on the document at all… He'd covered all his bases.

"Braeda," Roy began, "If you want me to see what I can do-"

"I oughtta go down there and punch his face in," he snarled, and then added, "No offense, Hawkeye."

"Don't do something stupid, Chris would never forgive you if you allowed him to get under your skin like this," the blonde said calmly. "Why don't you let me see what I can do? He'll be thrilled with the news of the engagement and might grant me a favor as a gift."

Braeda stomped angrily around the room, his orders fisted in his hand. "This is complete bullshit! He's only shoving me out of the way so he can get to her, splitting us up on purpose!" Roy grabbed his arm and dragged him out in the hall, Riza following close behind them. Braeda shook his arm free from the General's grasp and walked beside him, scowling. They turned the corner past the phone bank and exited into the rarely used back service stairwell and climbed to the roof, no one saying a word. As soon as the door closed behind them, Capt. Braeda was a swearing, bellowing mess. Once he'd gotten his tantrum out of his system, Roy started in on him.

"You know as well as I do that this could have happened, especially once all the evidence you had on his perversions was seized. I expect the Madame knew this was coming too, so don't think she doesn't already have a plan or two or three in the works as we speak." He glared at his subordinate. "You say you love her and want to keep her for your wife, but how well do you really know her, Braeda? You should've known she'd have this taken care of."

Braeda took a deep breath. "I do love her. Don't ever doubt that." He walked over to the edge of the building and looked out over the city. "That man has been nothing but rotten to her, and all because he had enough money to make her do what he wanted. He's only jealous that she's leaving the business. I have a feeling if I married her and she continued to work the brothel, none of this would even be happening, but I refuse to share her with anyone. She shouldn't have to do that in order to be successful. That's why we were repurposing the bar into a restaurant, turn all our girls from whores into waitresses… It's just not right."

"I'm going to speak with him," Riza said as she turned away from them. "The worst he can say is no, and if nothing changes then the Madame can try what's up her sleeve." They watched her disappear into the stairwell and Braeda sighed heavily.

"She's a good woman, Roy. She doesn't have to do that."

"And my aunt is a good woman, too. Have a little faith in her." He smirked, "You don't think she's going let that old man take you away from her, do you? She's going to come at him like a snake; darting this way and that and never knowing where she's going to strike next." He patted the round man on his shoulder. "Why don't you get your desk cleaned out and go on home, Riza and I will come by the bar tonight to let you know how it went and plan where to go from here."

"Man, I don't want Riza to get mixed up in this. She's going to have family on both sides of the situation-"

"And she knows what he's doing is an abuse of power and wrong. She doesn't like what he's doing from the ethical side of it; that much I know for certain. Don't worry. Everything will be fine, even if you end up having to spend a few days in Youswell for it all to work out." Braeda nodded, thanked Roy for helping him calm down, and then the two of them went back to their office.

* * *

Riza knocked on the door to her grandfather's office, his secretary already buzzing ahead to let him know she was there. "Come in!" he called cheerfully. He stood up and walked over to greet her with a hug. "You're not scheduled to be here until tomorrow, dear. What brings you down here?"

She took a deep breath and said, "Capt. Braeda."

His smile fell slowly from his face. "I thought you might have better news than that to talk about." His irritated gaze moved to the ring on her left hand. "Looks like that General of yours finally set things in motion between the two of you."

Riza offered him a small smile. "Yes, it was the first thing he asked me after I had my new orders."

"Then why talk about that Captain of his? Let's talk about your imminent wedding!"

"Because, your Excellency… We both know that what you're doing is wrong. I can't agree to become Gen. Mustang's wife knowing that you're trying to sabotage the happiness of his only family." Her fingers fiddled with the gold fringed trim that ran along the edges of the Amestrian flag standing behind Grumman's desk. "Why are you doing this?"

The old man didn't answer her right away, opting instead to twist the ends of his mustache and stare moodily out the window. Then he turned and said, "I've put a lot of money into that woman's hands. I deserve to be the one marrying her, not that punk."

"Sir- grandfather- don't you think if she had any romantic feelings for you that she would have acted on them by now?" She fought to reign in her temper, but her displeasure was evident in the sound of her voice. "Let them be. It's wasteful to act this way; you're wasting your energy on this personal matter when the entire nation needs you."

"Obviously you came here to ask me to change my mind, correct?" he spat, his fist coming down hard on the windowsill.

"Of course. What good does it do to send Braeda off to Youswell? Do you think the Madame is going to forget about her fiancé? Do you think she'd do that to him?"

"I just need time to properly woo her, my dear. I wasn't given a fair shake in all this."

"Please, don't do this. Change his orders and forget about her, sir. Imagine the headlines if the leader of our country made a whore his first lady…" He turned back toward the window, seeing Riza's reflection in it over his shoulder. She was angry, scowling… "Besides, you know as well as I do that this is a misuse of your authority. Changing his orders is not going to change the situation, no matter how long you have to attempt to court her."

A wicked smirk graced his lips, and he turned toward his only granddaughter. "You're right. I'll change the orders." Relief fell across her face, and he grunted. "But if I change his I'm changing yours, too. I'll put you right back under Mustang's command and refuse any further transfers."

Riza's jaw fell. "What?"

"If I can't be happy, then no one's going to be happy." He sat down in his chair, gathering up his pen and beginning to sign various documents that were lying on his desk. "You and I are blood related. I will see to _our_ happiness, dear girl. If you're willing to give up your happiness, then I will as well. It's all or nothing. I'll give you a few days to decide. Dismissed."

It took a moment for the information to sink in, and then she bit her tongue to keep from giving him the verbal lashing he deserved, opting instead to give him a very stiff salute. As she marched out of the office, she felt tears stinging the back of her eyes… She refused to let him see her cry. Heavy steps echoed in the hall as Riza made her way back to the roof, only to find her own fiancé and the Captain she would be related to through marriage already gone. Remembering her grandfather's harsh words, Riza let out a stream of incensed obscenities and a few shouts of frustration, as well as a few tears before returning to the office.

* * *

Braeda left the small box with his things from his desk in the car, and came in through the back door as if it were any ordinary day. He found Chris sitting at the kitchen table, smoking a cigarette with a pile of spent ones already in the ashtray beside her. One look from her disappointed face let him know that she already knew. He pulled a chair out and sat down heavily. Neither said anything, their silence saying it all.

A long time later, a bejeweled hand slid over and covered his. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"It is a little," she sighed. "I should've done more to keep that information safe. I should've done something to keep Valerie in our pocket-"

"What about the tapping room in the basement? Do we have _anything_?" his eyes were pleading for good news, though he knew there wouldn't be any.

Chris shook her head, stubbing out her cigarette. "Whatever conversation was had, it wasn't from his office at Central Command, and if it was from his mansion then Valerie turned a deaf ear to it." She lit another smoke, no sooner than the other one stopped smoldering in the tray. "I'm sorry."

"He would've done something like this eventually anyway," he said, getting up and pulling a beer out of the fridge. "As long as I'm in the military he holds me in the palm of his wrinkled old hand." His arm slipped around her shoulders and he gave her a squeeze. "It's alright. By the end of my assignment I'll be able to retire."

"Eighteen months, Braeda. A fucking year and a half," she said as she leaned forward and rested her face in her hands. "And it takes four days by rail to get there, which means if you have to be there by Wednesday morning you'll have to leave no later than the first train on Sunday morning. That only gives us tonight and tomorrow together before you've got to go…"

"Hey, now. Let's see what our options are. There's got to be a way around this. Besides, maybe Riza will be able to talk some sense into him and this will all go away." He sat back down and took a long drink from the amber bottle in his hand. "I could go AWOL…"

"And get shot when they find you," she countered.

"I could have an accident… something that would force an early retirement." He looked over at her. "Shoot my hand off or something."

"Don't be absurd!" she shouted. "I won't let you do that!"

He shouted back, "Then what are we gonna do, Chris? I refuse to let you go and he refuses to let me have you! What the hell do I do to keep you?"

"I don't know," she mumbled, the beginnings of tears shining in her eyes.

Braeda abandoned his beverage and reached over, gathering her into his arms and holding her close as she cried quietly into his white t-shirt. He kissed the top of her head and whispered that he loved her, would do whatever it took to make sure that in the end they were married and together.

"I don't care what I have to do, I'll do it if it means we can always be together."

"I don't know what's to be done. I'm out of ideas," she sniffed. "I'm sure there's got to be a way, I just… I can't think straight anymore."

"Roy said he and Riza would come by the bar later, we'll all figure something out. You don't have to do this by yourself." He hugged her tighter. "You're my girl, sweetheart. I'm going to make you my wife no matter what happens. We just might have to put it on hold a little longer. It doesn't mean I love you any less."

Chris tilted her head back for a kiss and when she pulled away, she got up and wandered into their bedroom. "Come lie down with me. I just want to lay with you for a little while before we go to the bar tonight." They cuddled and snuggled for over an hour, eventually giving up their nest for the biggest brainstorming session of their lives.

* * *

When they arrived at the bar, they expected it to be packed because it was Friday night. Instead they found the place deserted except for Roy, Riza, the girls… and Havoc, Falman, Fuery and Alex Armstrong.

"What are you doing here?" Braeda hollered at Havoc from the back hallway. "I thought you left town yesterday!"

Havoc waved. "Got called back with the promise of gas money if I only helped you guys out with your dilemma! I'll be going home tomorrow!" He watched as his best friend and his favorite fifty-two year old woman came into the bar room- only to witness Armstrong's gushing attack on them.

"Captain Braeda!" the ripped mustachioed man sobbed as he wound an arm around each of them. "It's such a tragedy what the Führer is putting you and your lady through! Even the Armstrong line has had to deal with jealous lovers over the generations, so if there's anything I can do to help-"

"Let go!" Braeda gasped. Armstrong released them then he apologized for his suddenness. "It's alright, I know your heart's in the right place. Just… settle down, alright?"

The Madame straightened her jacket and hair. "Well, if all of you are here, I suspect your discussion with the old man didn't go so well," Christmas said as she tossed her purse under the bar.

Roy began, "He said he would consider changing the orders… But if he changes Braeda's, he'll change Riza's too."

"Fuck that," she said, pouring herself a double scotch. "You've been waiting for a lot longer than we have to be together. I don't want him interfering with your lives. Don't agree to that, Riza." She pointed her cigarette at her. "Got it, young lady?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good girl. That old fart might separate me and Braeda-boy, but he is _not_ going to keep my son from you. How am I gonna get my grandchildren if he does that?" She gulped the rest of her drink down. "Alright. I'm out of ideas. Someone start thinking."

"Actually," Havoc said, rolling his cigarette from one side of his mouth to the other, "we do have a few plans, but none of them are real winners."

"Spill it, man!" Braeda barked as he sat down next to Falman at the bar, trying to pretend he didn't notice the way the older man was looking at Vanessa. "We don't have a whole lot of time here!"

"Marry her anyway. Do it tomorrow, first thing. What can he do then?" Havoc offered.

"Trump up some charges and then have me dishonorably discharged, thrown in the stockade or executed. Depends on how angry he is when he finds out."

"I don't think he'd execute you," Riza said quietly.

"We didn't think he'd use his power to get me away from Chris either, but he did." Riza's gaze fell to the wine in front of her as Roy's hand slid around her waist. She certainly couldn't argue with that.

"What about faking your death? We could pull a Maria Ross," Fuery suggested.

"That would be all well and fine, but they still couldn't be together. Can you imagine if Grumman found Chris walking around with _another_ guy other than him?" India scoffed. "Even if we changed his appearance, or even if the Madame left Central, Grumman would know right away what happened.

"What if we faked the Madame's death?" Falman asked.

"Nobody's death is getting faked," Chris murmured. "I'm not going to hide from him. I'm going to beat him at his own game… As soon as I figure out how to do that I'll let you know."

Havoc reached over and lit her cigarette for her, then lit his own. "We're making this too complicated. It's gotta be something simple that the old man won't expect."

"Yeah," Roy agreed. "Something like hiding in plain sight…"

"Let's look at the facts," said Falman as he tapped his chin in thought. "The Führer wants the Madame. The Führer is sending Capt. Braeda to Youswell in order to get the Madame alone. The Führer's taken every piece of blackmail the Madame had on him in order to do as he pleases-"

"Wait." Jerrica looked over at the group. "Wait, that's the key. Grumman wants _Chris._ We don't have to do anything about Braeda, we need to do something about _her_." She looked at the Madame and said, "It doesn't matter to him what Braeda does, so long as _you_ are away from him."

"But what am I supposed to do? I've got renovations and redecorating and purchasing I've got to do for when we convert over to Emerald's, it's not like I can just run away."

Braeda and Havoc shared a look of revelation at the same time. "No, that's exactly what you need to do," Braeda said. She blew him off with a snort through her nose that caused her to exhale smoke like dragon.

"He's right, Madame. And I think I got it now. Just go with Braeda when he leaves."

"I just said I can't!" she protested.

"Hear me out!" he shouted back. ""Look, Grumman knows you. He knows you'd never leave your establishment in order to go be with Braeda. But that's why it's so perfect, because he'd never expect you to do that!" He stood up and began to pace around the bar, fleshing out his plan. "Leave the bar to us. We'll handle the revamp and construction, and you go wait it out with Braeda."

"I'm not staying in Youswell for eighteen goddamn months, Jean."

"You won't have to, Chris. As soon as he figures out you're with him, Grumman will have Braeda back here so fast it'll be sickening. But here's the trick. When he gets back, don't return with him." The room murmured with the sounds of confusion. "If you make the excuse that since the girls did such a good job with the bar while you were gone that you decided to open up a second location in Youswell, he'll probably make a trip out there to see you. All you gotta do is be on a train to Central the day he leaves for Youswell. When he gets there and finds out you had to go back in order to get paperwork or money or something, he'll come back to Central, then you go back to Youswell."

"Sounds like an awful lot of trouble to go through, doesn't it?" Braeda said, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"Well, yeah, but all you have to do is stay one step ahead of him, and he'll never get you. Eventually, he'll get tired of chasing you and give up… or die, as old as he is. No offense, Riza."

"But better than that," grinned Falman, "he'll be leaving a trail of evidence for you, all on his own. We'll have records of your transfer, records that you applied for housing on base with your fiancé, itineraries of his trip to Youswell after Capt. Braeda's return, records that you did not return with him… We'll have enough evidence to force his hand and make him stop."

Chris looked over at Braeda. "He knows I don't leave this bar in anyone's hands for longer than a day or two. He certainly would never expect me to just pick up and leave, especially not with Roy-boy and Riza getting ready to have their wedding." Her hand found his. "What do you think?"

He took a deep breath. "I think we better go pack."

"I'll fill in your housing application and get it going first thing in the morning," Falman said. "Everything you do from here on out needs to go through the system. Keep a paper trail of anything you do." He caught Hawkeye's attention. "Capt. Hawkeye, we need to make sure that even if Führer Grumman doesn't file papers that _you_ do."

"Trust me, I won't get behind on his paperwork," she nodded. "I think we might be able to get his secretary on our side, too. I've no doubt she's heard some things through that door that shouldn't have been uttered."

"As far as the renovations go, Madame," Vanessa said, "we know where the drawings are and we know the items you've picked out and the colors you want. We'll take care of getting it under way."

Suddenly a large, blue shirt went flying through the air and the room was alive with sparkles. "I'll be happy to personally oversee the changes to your building, Madame Christmas!" Armstrong bellowed as he flexed his muscles. "Anything to assist two loving people in their time of need!"

"Have you ever done construction alchemy? It's got a pretty stringent code to adhere to." Braeda grabbed the plans from their office and unfurled them on the bar top. "Can you even read blueprints?"

"I used to build dollhouses for Catherine when she was little, it must be fairly similar." His bright blue eyes scanned the sketches. "Yes, this is quite easy indeed. Have no fear, I'm completely confident that I can handle this assignment. If anything isn't to your liking once it's finished, it won't take but a moment to fix it. That's the beauty of alchemic construction versus traditional construction."

Chris looked at the faces she saw seated around the bar, everyone all focused on the same goal… She swallowed the lump in her throat and said, "Thank you. Thank you all. If it weren't for you I'd be stressing myself into a seizure I'm sure."

"Aww, don't get worked up, honey," Jean said as he reached over and patted her shoulder. "You had the trap all the time, you just need to know how to set it was all." She came out from behind the bar and hugged him tight, then hugged everyone in the room.

"When this is all over," she said as she wiped at her eyes, "we're going have the biggest, grandest opening of a restaurant Central's ever seen. And you boys," she pointed at Falman, Fuery and Armstrong, "are going to get a night you'll never forget with one of my lovely girls, on the house." They all blushed, though Falman's eyes glanced toward Vanessa.

"Jerrica, if you want to go on and open up for the night, you can. The Madame and I are gonna go home and start getting packed up." Braeda shook hands with all of his coworkers and friends. "I really can't thank you guys enough for helping us out, even though you don't have to."

"Hey man, you'd do it for any of us if we needed your help. It's no trouble," Havoc grinned. "And hey! You'll be a lot closer to Sciezka and me! We could meet half way sometime and you can catch up with my little girl!"

Braeda offered the Madame his arm. "Can't wait!" he replied as they left out the back door.


	7. Riding the Rails

_**Sunday morning, 6:15 am, Grand Central Station** _

* * *

"Vanessa's going to be taking care of my fish tank and keeping the apartment fresh until we get back," Braeda said to Roy and Riza before he and Chris boarded their train heading to Youswell. "Jerrica's got the keys to the bar and India's got my car keys."

"Didn't want to keep all our eggs in one basket," Chris interjected.

"And what would you have _us_ do until you get back?" Roy asked, stuffing his hands into his khaki pants.

Stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him, Chris answered, "Get started on my grandchildren." She then moved to Riza and embraced her as well. "And you make sure you eat healthy. Spend an hour everyday meditating and concentrating on reducing your stress levels. Don't concern yourself with this situation. Everything is going to be just fine."

Braeda smiled. He hadn't said anything, but when Chris broke down in their kitchen, admitting she didn't know what else to do about Grumman, it had scared him a little. Christmas was always thinking, always had her mind in motion and was an excellent strategist in her own right. To see her so unsure of herself and unconfident in her ability to stay on her toes… He didn't like it, at all. Watching her give out orders for their absence reassured him that she was back at full capacity again.

"And don't think I don't know about that stupid bet," she grumbled. "Most ridiculous thing I ever heard."

"Now, Madame, I can't very well buy a wedding dress only to have to buy a bigger one if I do end up pregnant before the big day," Riza grinned.

"What in the hell do you think they make empire waists for? Like you'd be the first woman to walk down the aisle with a bun in your oven." She squeezed her again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't butt in like I do. I know you'll do what is good for you both and on your own time. Forgive me for being overzealous."

"It's alright, I know you do it out of love," Riza soothed and she hugged the woman back. "Don't rush it, I'll conceive when my body's ready."

"Now I have something I'd like for you to do while you're gone," Roy said sternly. His aunt cocked an eyebrow at him and he continued. "Try to enjoy yourself, think of this as a sudden vacation. And when you spend time at Havoc's place, take good notes on how to deal with little Jackie. You're gonna need a refresher course in babies before your grandchildren get here."

Chris smiled at him, clicked her heels together and gave him a salute. "As you wish, General Mustang." Their train's whistle sounded its last call, the porters calling out 'All aboard!' through the sound of the crowd. Braeda shook hands with Roy and Riza, then gathered up their carry on luggage. Once they were seated, Chris opened the window and hollered, "We'll call when we get there!"

Roy and Riza waved and nodded, and then the train pulled slowly away, building speed as it left the berth of the station. "I sure hope Falman knows what he's doing," Roy murmured as his hand found its way into Riza's, her civvie skirt occasionally brushing against his knuckles as they walked.

"I would trust him with _your_ life, sir. He won't let us down." She squeezed his hand. "I thought today might be a little worrisome for you, so I brought you a little something."

"Oh?" he asked as he opened the car door for her and ushered her inside. He got in behind the wheel and started the engine. "What is it?"

"Hold out your hand and close your eyes."

Doing as he was instructed, he felt her press a round, plastic item into his palm. When he opened his eyes, his brows furrowed. "Your birth control?"

"My doctor said I could stop taking them, that I've gained some weight and I don't really need them anymore, so long as I'm sure to get good rest and good food. And all the time we're able to spend together lately…"

"I was right, wasn't I?" Roy asked smugly.

Riza couldn't help but grin at him. "Yes, you were."

Roy rolled the window down and flung the compact out the window as they pulled away from the station. "We need to set a date soon."

"We need to find out how quickly we can set up a big wedding," Riza replied. "That will determine the date."

He gave her a sidelong glance. "And you're sure you want to continue our little wager?"

She began to chuckle. "Absolutely." Mischievous cinnamon colored eyes caught his attention. "I can't wait to see what you look like in a red satin bustier and garter belt."

"You seem to forget where I was raised, Captain," he smirked. "I'm sure I've worn such a thing at some point in my life, thanks to my sisters on those boring, slow nights. But the question is," he said as he turned wicked eyes toward her, "when have you ever worn a white lace negligee with matching thigh highs and crotchless panties?"

Riza's face was crimson. "I don't see the value of crotchless panties, sir."

"Isn't it obvious? I can make love to you while leaving the lovely lingerie on. You'll be the vision of bridal purity; the most beautiful thing among a sea of wispy, white lace… Maybe the negligee should be one of those without the cups in it," he pondered aloud to himself. "Those breasts are positively not something to be ignored. I just don't want to get sidetracked and linger there all night long…"

His fiancé cleared her throat. "Back to setting a date, _sir_."

"My sisters want to help. Find out what a suitable amount of time is to get invitations sent and simply begin planning it. I'll go along with anything you decide, Riza. I only ask that you don't serve seafood for the dinner. Just the smell of it makes me sick," he said as he pulled up in front of her apartment building. Hawkeye didn't have to be in for another four hours yet.

"And I suppose if you'll be drinking, the smell of fish would make you sick even faster?"

"How well you know me," he smiled.

"Are you coming up? I can make us some coffee," Riza offered as he helped her climb from the car.

He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "If I go upstairs with you, I'm going to strip you down and love you all damn day. But since I intend to win our little competition, I'll respectfully decline your gracious invitation." He didn't miss the tremble in her usually rigid frame, nor the quiet whimper of desire as he turned her loose. "I'll come pick you up for the movies later," he said as if he didn't notice her reaction to him.

"S-sure. That's fine, I'll see you then."

"Love you, see you later!" he called as he waved goodbye, pulling away from the curb.

She waved back and trudged up the stairs, unlocked the door to her apartment, then closed the door and immediately hitched her skirt up and jammed a hand inside her panties. Riza slid to the floor, her fingers working overtime at the little pebble that came alive at the mention of Roy making love to her on their wedding night. Oh sure, she would indeed _love_ to see him dressed in all that red satin, but she'd much rather see him _out_ of it. In her mind's eye she tried to imagine how all that slick fabric would feel against her, tried to imagine how all that lace would feel if she lost the bet, and her orgasm came quickly there in her foyer, all while she bit her knuckles to keep from crying out.

"Good thing he didn't see that," she panted to herself.

What she didn't know was only a half an hour later, a certain General succumbed to the same visions she had.

* * *

_**Sunday night, around 10:30 pm, somewhere between Lassid and Edmiritbu** _

* * *

"I hate sleeping on trains," Braeda grumbled. "Though I have to admit, this bed is more comfortable than sleeping in my seat like I'm accustomed to."

Madame adjusted her pillow, then snuggled into the thin but firm mattress. "It's alright. The sound usually lulls me to sleep pretty quickly." She felt Braeda's arm slip around her waist as he spooned around her. The bed looked too small at first glance for both of them sleep together, but they found it was just right once they actually tried it. "What a boring damn day," she sighed as she patted the hand that was caressing her belly.

"And two more to go."

"I hope this is all over soon. I want to get our restaurant opened, have our wedding and start waiting for my grandchildren."

Braeda closed his eyes, hugging his woman tight to him. "It won't be long, sweetheart. We'll be making our way back home and we can forget all about this. Maybe we could have a simple little wedding with our family and just a few close friends. Then we'll have one hell of a reception in our new place."

"I can't wait," she murmured. Shuffling a bit, she turned her head over her shoulder. "Hey Braeda? You ever done it on a train?" She felt him laughing silently to himself, his belly shaking her mid-back. His arm curled possessively around her and he moved so he could look her in the face.

"Thanks, now I owe Havoc five hundred Cenz." He leaned down and kissed her deeply, her soft sounds lost amid the _clickety-clack_ of the train moving down the line. It didn't last long, though the usher's cheeks pinked as he passed by their tiny doorway in the corridor. Satisfied that they'd joined the Hundred Miles an Hour Club, they finally turned in for the night.

* * *

_**Monday morning, 10:00 am, Führer Grumman's office** _

* * *

Capt. Hawkeye began her day at her new post right on time. She introduced herself to the secretary, met the other members of Grumman's personal aide staff (which included Maj. Greene and Sgt. Dieruff) and then promptly asked the Führer if she could have a word alone with him.

As soon as the room was clear, she asked, "Permission to speak freely, sir?" He nodded his agreement and she continued. "Regarding the matter of Capt. Braeda, I'd like to leave both of our assignments as they are."

Grumman's face broke into a sunny smile. "I see you've had a change of heart! Good to hear it!"

"Actually, my heart hasn't changed." Riza watched as his smile faded. "I was asked by Capt. Braeda to ignore his situation, and that's what I intend to do. I would greatly appreciate it if we could never bring this subject up again, sir. I am your personal aide, and I will do my job well. However, I don't see how Capt. Braeda's assignment affects either of us at this point, so I would like to continue with business as usual if that's alright." She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, facing forward and her feet shoulder width apart as she waited for his response to her statements.

Grumman smiled again. "Of course, my dear. That problem has been dealt with, anyhow. And you're right, it shouldn't affect either of us again." A slight grin crossed her lips and she nodded in agreement. "Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to get started planning my trip to West City. I want to see how the cleanup efforts from the border war near Pendleton are coming."

"Will I be accompanying you, sir?"

"No. I want you to stay behind and ensure my staff stays on top of their workload, Captain. Seems like everyone in this office is a bit sluggish when I go out of town. I trust you can keep that from happening?"

"Of course, sir," she replied as she made him a cup of coffee. "Do you take cream or sugar, Führer?"

"I take it straight, just like my whiskey, dear." She handed him a large, steaming mug and he said, "First thing I want you to do is help Cpl. MacLendon find a more efficient way of getting vital paperwork to my desk. She seems a little frazzled most days, perhaps you could help her out."

"Yes, sir. I'll start right away." She excused herself to the small office his secretary occupied where she closed the door to the outer hallway as well as the door to the Führer's office. One glance at her desk was all she needed. The poor girl had paperwork all over the place, and none of it seemed to be grouped in any particular order.

"It's a mess, I apologize, Captain." Her dark eyes didn't meet Riza's.

"It's alright, MacLendon, I'm here to help." She pulled up a chair and began methodically stacking the mess in the seat. "I was wondering if you could help me in exchange."

"Beg your pardon, ma'am?" the girl asked with a stunned expression.

"I was wondering if you could just listen for anything that sounds out of the ordinary." Riza smiled brightly. "It's nothing too serious. Someone believes he might be going a little senile in his old age, it's just a health precaution."

"Oh," the girl sighed in relief. "No, he's usually quite clear headed! Well, clear headed with everything but that poor Captain he's been sort of stalking." She looked up at Cpt. Hawkeye. "Did that Braeda person do something backhanded and conniving?" she asked quietly.

"Not in the slightest," Riza answered, making a clear place to reorganize the mess on the girl's desk. "It seems the Führer lost some kind of bet with Cpt. Braeda off duty and that his Excellency is a sore loser. Normally, I would expect Führer Grumman to accept the loss and move on, but with this possibility of his mental faculties failing…" She took a deep breath. "Some higher ups are worried that he might try to abuse his power in retaliation."

MacLendon watched as Riza began to sort through each piece of paper, making quick work of the young secretary's lack of organization. "Now that you mention it, some strange things have been going on. I don't know if it's abuse of power or anything like that, but the Führer's been spending an awful lot of time with Maj. Greene."

"Well, Maj. Greene is part of his aide staff. That in itself isn't unusual," Riza offered, trying to seem only mildly interested despite her hunger for more on the subject.

"True," the young woman said as she dug our some manila folders. "But before a few weeks ago, Maj. Greene was in and out all day but never left Central Command as far as I know. Then he started being gone _all_ day, and would sometimes return late dressed in civvies. On those days, he'd be in the Führer's office for hours and sometimes we wouldn't leave here until after midnight."

"We? You mean you stayed too?"

"Well, I was trying to get caught up on things, but as you can see…" she trailed off, gesturing to the mess they were now in the middle of.

"I see," Riza said as she opened a file cabinet that appeared to be used as office storage rather than filing. "Ever overhear anything from those long nights?"

MacLendon shook her dark head, the braid down her back swinging slightly. "No, ma'am. I simply tried to get caught up on this paperwork as best as I could manage."

"Well, we're going to get you organized so that hopefully you'll never get behind again. And next time you've got to sit here all night, you can listen for anything that sounds out of the ordinary." The blonde woman dragged the other two chairs from the small waiting area over to the Corporal's desk. "Let's get these sorted and then you can set up your filing cabinet."

* * *

_**Tuesday afternoon, around 3:30 pm, 100 miles outside Youswell** _

* * *

"Not much further," Braeda murmured. He was lounging on the bed, watching the Madame clean up their small compartment like room on the train. "Why don't you rest for the last leg of it."

Chris zipped the last bag shut after making sure the glass ashtray she'd swiped from the dining car found it's way safely inside. Then she wandered over to the large bunk and laid down into her fiancé's arm.

"You've been awful quiet today." He said as he crossed his ankles. "Something on your mind?"

For a moment the only sound was the train barreling down the tracks, then she spoke. "Are you sure about taking my last name? Doesn't it emasculate you or something?"

He raised his head to look at her. "Seriously? That's what's bothering you?" He caught her eyes sneaking over her shoulder to look at him. Flopping back to the pillow he let out a sigh. "My mother named me Heymans because that's my father's last name. Actually it's Heyman, she added the S so that he could never say that I didn't belong to him. Jakob Heyman was his name. If he hadn't ran off and been a stand up guy, Mom said my name would have been Roger Heyman." He playfully gave her a shove. "Why does all that matter anyway? What does it matter if my name is Heymans or Roger or Braeda? All that matters to me is that you and I are together. And when we get married, my name will be Braeda Mustang and I still won't care, so long as you never call me 'liar' or 'bastard' I don't care what you call me."

Chris smiled at him. "Gonna be too many Mustangs in the army, y'know."

"Roy already gave me that, so shut it," he grinned. "Why don't you tell me what's really bothering you now that we've gotten this nonsense out of the way."

Chris sighed. "I hate hot weather. And Youswell is gonna be scorching at the edge of the desert."

"I'll make sure I get the finest fan for you as soon as I can. As it is, we'll be arriving after most places are closed anyways. Who knows, maybe the base housing will have a good fan. I've never been inside one of the living units other than the barracks. This is an adventure for me too, sweetheart."

"We're not even there yet and I can't wait to go home," she pouted quietly.

"I couldn't agree with you more."

They arrived two hours later.

The end game could finally begin.

* * *

Chris 2; Grumman 2


	8. Making the Most of it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the last chapter was so short. I had a hard time writing it because it felt like filler to me, but I wanted to make a clean break between Braeda and Chris' arrival in Youswell and the wild goose chase Grumman's about to begin. The score is tied at 2, it's anyone's game again! Also, because I'm an interior designer and a geek for floor plans, I drew a floor plan to Braeda and Chris' new digs in Youswell. You can find it at: http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/4554/militaryunit.jpg

He nearly tripped over Hayate racing for the phone, so when he answered it a little out of breath, a raspy laugh came from the other end.

" _Getting started on my grandchildren, I see."_

"Not hardly," Roy panted. "I almost had a flattened dog in the hallway. So you guys made it?"

" _Yeah… Youswell is definitely not one of God's favorite cities. I guess I should be grateful that we won't be staying too long,"_ Chris answered. _"I'm still at the train station, Braeda's securing our transport to the base as we speak. Tell Falman that thanks to him we managed to get housing on base despite such short notice. The keys were waiting for us at the military depot here at the station. Wonder what kind of shithole I'll be walking into…"_ she wondered aloud.

"Military housing is actually quite nice. It's not any different than your apartment here, it'll just have furniture in it that you didn't pick out. That's the nice part about military housing: you don't have to bring anything with you in order to survive. Other than personal things and food, you're set from the minute you walk in." Roy heard her grumbling and said, "Just give it a chance, you might be surprised. Besides, you won't be there too long anyway, you can manage for a few weeks."

" _You're right. This is just so taxing, this whole situation. Oh, there's Braeda, I better run, kiddo. I'll call you when we get to the new place."_

"I'll be waiting, Madame." Roy hung up the phone, reached down and scratched Hayate's head as he wandered back to the couch where Riza was lounging with some magazines in her lap. "They made it."

"Now we just wait and see how long it takes Grumman to decide he needs to go out there," she said as she flipped through pages filled with wedding dresses.

"Think it'll take him long?" He glanced over at one of the dresses she'd eyed for longer than two seconds, then Riza flipped the page.

"I don't know. He seems to have forgotten all about it. I'm sure though he's just sparing my feelings on the matter." She held the magazine up to him. "Why are they all cut like this? I need something with a high neck, not a low scooped one." She tossed the periodical in the floor and moved on to the next one.

"You know India's a seamstress, right? If you find something you like, ask her if she can alter it to cover your back." Roy squeezed her shoulder. "I want you to be happy with what you choose."

"What are you wearing?" she asked as he stole a kiss.

"Dress blues, what else?"

"Think anyone would care if I wore mine, too?"

Roy laughed heartily at that and gathered her to his lap, burying his face in her shoulder. "If it were up to me we'd both go stark naked! But I think the occasion calls for a wedding dress, Riza." She nodded and laid her head on his. "No matter what you wear, you'll be the most beautiful woman in the room."

"Dammit, what about bridesmaids dresses? And the bridesmaids themselves! There's so many people to get involved still!" She let out a sigh of aggravation and flopped her head backwards on the couch. "I'm never going to be able to get all this ready in time."

"Becky should be your maid of honor, my sisters can be your bridesmaids, and isn't it traditional for the maid of honor to handle everything concerning the bridesmaids, dresses and bouquets included?"

Riza's eyes narrowed in thought. "No, but it makes sense to me. In fact that's a great idea and will lighten my work load," she smiled at him. "Oh, and is Havoc going to be one of your groomsmen?"

"I hope so. I had planned on asking all our boys to be in it. I only wish Maes could be here to be my best man." He felt her fingers running lovingly through his hair. "Even after all this time, I still miss him. I can't imagine how Gracia gets through every day."

"I have an idea… You could have Gracia carry a picture of Maes down to the altar and set it on one of those decorative columns, so he's there in spirit. I think it would be a lovely tribute to your friendship with him and would be a great way to include him in the ceremony."

"Elysia could be the flower girl," Roy mumbled, eyes closed and picturing the scene on that day. "And Gracia could place the rings on the column with Maes' photo. I really like that idea."

"And if Havoc is going to be there I'm asking Sciezka to be a bridesmaid, too. It might encourage him to make a bride out of her. So that's Becky, India, Jerrica, Vanessa and Sciezka, and Falman, Fuery, Braeda-"

"Who already asked to be seated with the Madame, so he's not going to be in the line-up. Alex Armstrong will be in his place."

"Okay, so Falman, Fuery, Armstrong and Havoc. And Gracia will walk with Becky down the aisle…" She paused, her hands holding another magazine. "Now all we need is a date."

"What's today?" he asked, wanting so badly to fall asleep like this on her.

"April 22nd."

"Let's do it June 22nd. That's plenty of time, isn't it?"

Riza chuckled. "If I can get a chapel and a reception hall nailed down tomorrow or the next day, I can get invitations printed within the week with a week to send them out. That gives our guests six weeks to respond… and I would assume that's plenty of time." She kissed the top of his head. "Two months… and I'll be Mrs. Mustang."

"It's been a long time coming, Riza." Roy's hand slipped to her belly. "And it won't be long after that and we'll be able to start adding to the stable. I'm really looking forward to the end of this wager."

"And the Madame's joyous shouting will be heard all the way in Briggs," Riza grinned. She leaned down and kissed Roy deeply, and then she excused herself to make a list of phone numbers to call in preparation for finding the chapel.

* * *

Braeda jiggled the key in the door and finally the lock's tumblers moved. From the outside, the housing units looked kinda cute: townhouse style units in blocks of six, each unit's façade painted a different pastel color (theirs was a pale green). There was a small front porch, just big enough for the two chairs and little table that sat there, and at the end of each block was a small laundry room.

He swung the door open wide and Chris peeked past him with nervous eyes. "Hey, it's not that bad, sweetheart!" he said with a grin. "Look at that radio!" He strode in and sat their bags beside the steps leading upstairs, then hauled the huge steamer trunk with Chris' stuff inside and closed the door behind him.

The Madame looked around her. The walls were a neutral gray, the carpet a darker version of the same color. But there were some nice framed prints on the wall and a nice metal coat rack and umbrella stand just behind the door. The staircase was to her right, and straight ahead was the living room. There was a well used, but clean and comfy looking sofa and a fluffy chair and ottoman, as well as some simple end tables, a book case full of all kinds of books, and there was a very nice looking radio sitting on a crocheted doily that was made to look like the green and white Amestrian flag. To the left of that room was the small dining room that held a plain table and four chairs, and the kitchen was nestled back toward the front door. It was gleaming clean, and upon inspection of the cabinets, Chris found there was a service of eight dishes (all matching) as well as utensils and cookware. So far, the place was looking not so bad.

As Braeda fiddled with the radio, she looked through the curtains on the back door. There were four other blocks like this, and they formed a square shaped courtyard so that families with children wouldn't have to worry about losing their little ones. There was a jungle gym in the center, along with some swings, a couple of picnic tables and some scattered BBQ grills. "This seems like a really nice place," she said.

"I told you not to worry. Maybe you'll be a little more comfortable here knowing that this isn't such a rat hole." Finally he got a station to come in, and he turned the volume down. "Let's go see upstairs," he said as he took her hand and led her up the steps, each of them taking a handle on the trunk and lugging it up.

There was a short hallway with four doors. The one closest to the landing was a hall closet. The next one belonged to a small bedroom with a bunk bed, a dresser and a small desk. The next door was a bathroom, complete with a tub and shower, sink and commode. The last door was the master bedroom, which contained a queen sized bed, two chests and a dressing table between them, two nightstands and a very spacious closet.

"Wow," Chris said. "This is much nicer than I had expected. I'll have to send a letter of thanks to whoever is in charge of housing."

Braeda flopped down on the bed, kicking his shoes off as he did so. "Not bad at all." He watched Chris climb up and then held his arms out for her to come snuggle into his chest. "And now we wait."

"He won't come calling right away," she said, looking at the lush garden scene in the print on the wall. "He'll wait at least two weeks I'm sure. He'll probably think I'll be desperate by then."

"Well, even if we have to wait for a few months, I think we'll be alright here." He held her tight and felt her relax completely in his arms. "I love you, Christmas."

"I love you too, Braeda-boy." They rested there for a while, then Chris ran herself a bath while Braeda brought the rest of their stuff upstairs. Once he'd gotten a shower in as well, they both went to bed, worn out from their trip and wondering what tomorrow would hold.

* * *

' _How long should I wait until I contact her? Will she even be in her right mind after all this? Will she simply hang up on me?'_

Grumman tapped his pen against the underside of his chin, pretending to thoroughly read the document Hawkeye had given him for his perusal.

' _What should I say? "Heard your soldier boy's gone to Youswell. Sorry about that, but you can always come to the mansion; I'll keep you warm if you like." No… she'd never buy that, and frankly neither would I.'_

"Sir, you seem distracted," Riza said quietly. She'd seen Mustang do that same thing often enough to know he wasn't really reading that document. Eyes that are reading move; people who are lost in thought simply _stare_.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Captain. I had a late night and didn't get much sleep," he smiled.

' _A likely story, grandfather…'_ Riza thought to herself. She figured he was getting antsy about the whole Chris situation, but knew him well enough that he was biding his time. Whatever was going to happen wasn't gong to happen right away. She nodded and offered him a cup of coffee. "Maybe this will help wake you up, sir. I made it a little stronger than normal, I hope it's not too much."

"Thank you, dear." He took the plain white mug and sipped appreciatively. "Do you have my itinerary for the trip to West City?"

"Yes, sir. Cpl. MacLendon is typing it up now. You'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon and arriving sometime on Friday evening. General Jameson will personally escort you to Pendleton via his car, and once there you'll be touring the restoration areas as well as the places that have yet to be cleared. There will be a memorial event on Monday afternoon, a dedication ceremony for the first school to reopen since the shelling destroyed all the schools in the city on Tuesday morning, and then the General will bring you back to West City where you can either leave Wednesday or wait until Thursday. In either case you'll be home no later than Saturday." Riza gave him a smile. "It'll be a busy week for you, sir."

Grumman sighed, sipping at more coffee. "Indeed." He finally read the document she'd given him earlier and signed it, then asked for a moment alone, blaming a headache for his lack of concentration. When solitude found him, he gave in to his desire to call Chris, wanted to ask her if she'd like to accompany him to West City and give him a chance to explain everything. "And if she doesn't agree," he mumbled to himself, "then that lard ass can rot in Youswell until he retires."

His old hand trembled as he lifted the receiver on the phone and dialed the secret number to Chris' office. He waited until at last she answered-

" _Christmas Inn, can I help you?_ "

His mind froze. Normally it was a smoky voice that answered with a sharp, 'Whaddya want?' This was a thick city accent; a voice not marinated in scotch and nicotine…

"India?"

" _Who's this?_ " she said with an edge of attitude.

"Ah, this is… This is Eli, darling." He didn't feel right saying 'Grumman' or 'the Führer'. "Can I talk to Chris, please?"

" _Well, if she was here, sure. But she ain't, so no._ "

Grumman's eyes closed in frustration. He had a strong dislike for India and everything about her, from her fake boobs to her snarky personality. "I see. Can you tell me when she'll be returning?"

" _Don't ask me! She went to be with her Braeda-boy!_ "

"She went to Youswell?" he exclaimed, his jaw falling open in surprise.

" _Sure she did! She fell apart when she heard about his new assignment, so she packed up all her shit, threw me the keys to the bar and told me she'd be back in eighteen months. I guess that's how long he'll be stationed there? I don't know nothin' about military stuff._ "

Grumman felt the floor falling out from underneath him. His grand plan to separate them had blown up in his face. He'd shoved Braeda out of the way, sent him as far east as he could, and it still didn't change anything. For just a second, he was speechless- all this power and here was a situation he had absolutely no control over…

" _You still there?_ "

"Yes… yes, India, I am." What should he say now? "Thank you very much for the information. I'll be sure to get word to her through the military lines then. Have a good day, dear." He didn't wait for a response, simply hung up. Well. This was certainly a monkey wrench in his plans. And here he had commitments until the end of next week.

"This isn't good." He began to play and pull at his mustache. How to roll with this newest round of punches? Grumman considered his options. He could find out their phone number and call Chris, ask her what in the world made her go all the way out to the middle of nowhere like that. He could go to her… but was he desperate enough for that? Then again he could always order the fat captain back, seeing how she would obviously follow him wherever he was ordered to, just like an obedient little wife would. Just like his late Belinda did before Elizabeth had been born.

He looked at the picture on his desk. The lithe blonde in the photograph smiled back at him, never answering as always. Was it time to let this go? Accept that she was never going to change her mind and move on. "I won't let this go. She's the only woman who's meant anything to me other than you, darling. I can't just let some punk Captain take her away from me like that." He picked the photo frame up. "If I can't have her, then I'll make them both miserable."

* * *

Corporal Deena MacLendon looked up, taking a break from typing. She clearly heard him shout ' _She went to Youswell?_ ' not more than five minutes ago. She'd heard from the Private down in requisitions that Führer Grumman had given her orders for an immediate change of command last week for a Captain Braeda to be sent to Youswell… Could the Captain have taken a woman away from his Excellency?

The girl stretched her fingers and was about to begin typing again when she heard him pacing the floor and mumbling to himself. That was when she quietly got up and began to look for Captain Hawkeye.

It didn't take long to find her, thankfully the Captain was predictable in the places she would frequent when Grumman wanted some privacy. Almost always, she could be found in her former office, checking up on her comrades and fiancé, making sure work wasn't falling behind and such. If she wasn't there, she'd be at the range keeping her accuracy skills up, or she would be in the halls making her way to or from either destination. Today though, she was in among her old coworkers.

MacLendon saluted the room. "Permission to speak with Cpt. Hawkeye, sir."

"Of course, Corporal," Roy answered with a grin. "Please, feel at ease in here. We're all kind of family in this office."

"What's wrong, MacLendon? You're an awfully long way from your post," Riza said.

"Yes, ma'am… but you asked me to let you know if the Führer began acting strange, and so I came right away."

Riza's eyes widened. "What's he doing?" she asked as she began to walk out of the office, Mustang ordering the others to keep working while he joined Riza and MacLendon on their little mission.

"I assume he was on the phone with someone, and at some point he shouted, 'She's gone to Youswell?', and then he was quiet for a long time. But then I heard him pacing about the room and mumbling to himself, and I clearly heard 'both suffer' at a point when he wandered too close to the door." She looked at Riza as they marched hurriedly down the hall. "I'm beginning to think maybe it wasn't just a bet he lost with Cpt. Braeda, ma'am. I think he lost a woman to him and he's trying to make him pay."

"Jeeze, this girl's too sharp to be a secretary," Roy commented, the three of them rounding the last corner before making it back to MacLendon's station in the aide's office. When they entered the office, Roy shut the door and locked it. "Let me use your phone, Corporal."

He rang the Christmas Inn's main number and Jerrica picked up the phone. "Christmas Inn, can I help you?"

"Jerrica, I'm going to put the phone up to the door to the Führer's office, hopefully we can get some audio evidence," Roy said as he laid himself down on the floor. "I'll probably have to hang up in a hurry, but I'll call you back."

"Alright, the tapes are rolling. Go for it!" she replied as she turned the jukebox off so as to hear for herself. There were some rustling sounds and then she could hear the old man's voice. It was faint but clear, and what he had to say was really something to hear.

" _You believe me, don't you? I never would have gone to that godforsaken whorehouse if you were still here. If only you would have lived, Belinda… Maybe we could have saved Elizabeth from that alchemist's insanity, or at least saved Riza from it. And Chris… She saw I was hurting and she made all that go away for a few hours. I never felt anything for her. And even now, do I really_ love _her, or am I simply jealous that I'm not her only anymore?_ " He snorted, pacing a little closer to the door as indicated by the volume of his voice. " _That bastard Braeda… He's younger, more fit than me despite his size… He's done to her things I couldn't accomplish. He made her scream his name, Belinda! And the worst part is that I remember when I was young and could make_ you _scream my name, but I don't remember the sound anymore. All I wanted was to know I still had that part of myself, my virility, even though I'd lost damn near everything else. Is this what it is to get old? To watch everyone fade out of your life until there's nothing left but your reflection in a mirror and a nation of people who think you're doing an okay job? This isn't what I wanted._ "

Riza had her ear pressed to the door and her face had gone pale. The senility excuse was just a front, but could he really be having some kind of problem? He was wandering around his office, talking to a photo of his long dead wife… She looked at Roy and gestured for him to hang up. Once he and the phone were out of the floor, she knocked gently. "Führer Grumman, sir?" she called. "Is everything alright? May I come in?" She could hear some scrambling on the other side of the door, and then he cleared his throat and told her to come in.

Grabbing Roy's hand, she entered his office and smiled brightly at him. "I hope we're not interrupting anything."

"Of course not, my dear. Good afternoon, General, wonderful to see you as always!" Grumman said, shooing away Roy's salute and offering him a handshake instead. "How's life treating the next in line?"

"Ask me again after I've made dinner for me and Riza. You'll get a much better answer than the one I could give you at the moment, as paperwork takes over my office in Riza's absence," Roy smirked.

"I'm glad she's out from under you, and I'm glad you're finally able to spend time with her like you should."

"We wanted you to be the first to know that we've set a date for the wedding," Riza smiled. "Keep your schedule free the week of June 22nd, I'm sure all kinds of dignitaries and ambassadors will be flooding the city to make sure they were seen at this country's most anticipated wedding."

Grumman scoffed at that. "I still can't believe that the newspaper had the gall to start speculating on whether or not you two were an item throughout your entire careers."

"If you two will excuse me, I hate to run but I really do need to get back to work. I look forward to seeing you in the front row at my wedding, sir," Roy grinned as headed toward the door.

"Take care, Roy. We'll have to have a round of chess and a fifth of whiskey sometime," he waved.

Roy smiled and waved back. It was hard to hate the old man, but he really did wish his Excellency would leave his aunt alone. No sooner had he closed the door behind him, he scribbled a phone number down on a steno pad on MacLendon's desk. "Next time he starts talking crazy like that, call this number and hold the phone to the door like I did. I will tell them to expect you to call sometimes. All you have to do is say you're one of Mustang's team and to roll tape." The young Corporal nodded. "You've done a great thing today, your work is very much appreciated, MacLendon." He gave her a salute and she blushed and brushed the compliment off. The young woman watched as the General turned and disappeared down the hallway.

Moments later, Hawkeye was back, leading the Führer out of his office. "When you've finished the itinerary, please lay it on the Führer's desk, Corporal. His Excellency has decided to go home early today in order to prepare for the trip to West City."

She did as she was ordered, and when she went in to lay the papers on his desk, she found a quick note of thanks jotted down on a notepad. "Thank you for your quick thinking. Cpt. Hawkeye"

MacLendon smiled to herself, turned the desk lamp off, and closed the door behind her, ready to head home for the day.

* * *

At 0630 hours, Youswell was already too warm for Chris' liking. The night had been almost too cold to leave the windows open, but in the interest of cooling the apartment for the day, they slept under the heavy blankets while huddled close together. Braeda turned the alarm off and quickly dressed. "You don't have to get up," he said as he kissed her cheek.

"It's alright, I need to pee anyway." She yawned, pleased with the bed they'd been given, and waited while Braeda took his turn at the toilet. After the morning necessities had been seen to, she came downstairs to find her fiancé making oatmeal.

"You should ask our neighbors where we can get some food into the cupboards. We're lucky there was enough oatmeal for this morning."

"I don't guess there's any coffee?" she asked as she opened a fresh pack of cigarettes.

"Nope. And don't forget, you have to smoke outside." The groan he got in response made him chuckle. "Who knows, maybe having to smoke out in the heat will make you quit."

"Don't hold your breath," she said as she stepped out onto the back stoop. The courtyard was nice. There were some kids already playing on the jungle gym, a heap of school bags piled on a bench. A young woman with a baby on her hip was glancing down at her watch every few minutes, making sure they didn't play so long that they were late for school. Chris dragged on her smoke. Despite the heat and the laughing children from across the yard, it was peaceful, and almost too wholesome for the Madame to take.

"I need some debauchery," she chuckled to herself. Her imagination went wild picturing teaching the children to run a gambling hall from the playground (like she had taught her Roy-boy) and schooling the two little girls on how to play a man like a violin. There was a tap on the door's window, and Braeda told her to come get her breakfast while it was hot. She stubbed the butt out on the concrete slab and tossed it out into the sparse grass.

After they finished their meal, Braeda looked up at the clock on the wall. "I guess I better get going. I don't really know where I'm supposed to go or even how to get there." He kissed her on her unpainted mouth and gave her a hug. "You should call the girls today, let them know you're okay and that we made here. But I would do the shopping early in the day, otherwise you're gong get caught in the heat."

"Alright. Anything special you want me to get?"

"Beer. Or at least the stuff to make it if they don't sell it." He kissed her cheek and hurried out the door, leaving the Madame to figure out shopping on her own.

Sighing, she trudged back upstairs, dressed and made her face up, and then knocked at the neighbor's door. The woman that answered was breastfeeding a tiny baby and looked like she hadn't slept in a week. After introducing herself and apologizing for knocking at such an early hour, she got directions on how to get to the store. Then she blurted out, "If you ever need anyone to watch your little one, I'm expecting a grandchild and could use the practice. Even if it's just so you can get a nap in, I'll be glad to sit for you."

The lady's bleary eyes brightened a little and she smiled. "That sounds lovely. I'll definitely take you up on your offer, Chris."

Ten minutes later she was standing inside Uklon Grocery and Sundries. First, she picked up a large canister of coffee. Then she found bread, some cheese, cans of vegetables, some canned meat (the label said ham, but she knew there could be any variety of things in that can), some flour and sugar, powdered eggs and powdered milk, and then she stopped in her tracks. There was a gleaming stainless steel oscillating fan, brand new, for a very reasonable price. After checking her math on what she already bought, and estimating high for the alcohol she still needed to pick up, she deduced she could buy two, and she did.

By the time Braeda returned, he had cold beer waiting for him in the fridge, Chris' version of pot pie staying warm in the sunshine on a small table on the back stoop, and homemade cake sitting on the kitchen table. His bride-to-be was sitting out back with the pot pie, a sweating tumbler half full of scotch and a cigarette in her hand, the electrical cord for the fan run through the window.

"There's my girl," he said as he planted a kiss at her sweaty brow. "Why are you out here baking in the sun?"

"I figured I better get used to this heat rather than fighting it," she answered. "How was your day?"

"Tedious. Hot," he said, unbuckling his waist wrap. He took his jacket off before he got home, and hung it up on the coat rack as soon as he walked in. "How was yours?"

"A lot better than I thought it would be. This is good scotch, you should have some," she smirked, shaking her glass at him.

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all, Chris." He looked out at the playground, empty because it was dinner time for so many families. "After all, everything's better with booze, right?" he said as he reached for her glass and took a sip, making a face at the taste.

"You got that right," she agreed, chuckling at his disgusted expression. "But it's also better when you're with the one you love."

The look she gave him melted his heart, and he kissed her deeply as she sat in one of the dining room chairs, bathed in the crimson light of a Youswell sunset. "Truer words were never spoken, sweetheart," he said as he pulled away from her. "I'll be back, I'm gonna grab a beer and a chair."

As Chris savored his flavor in her mouth, she smiled. The neighbor she'd talked to this morning had been nice and helpful, the store had exactly what she was looking for, and her conversation with Jerrica had gone better than she could have hoped. And now Braeda was home and they were lounging together outside, having a cold drink at the end of a hot day…

The back door opened. "You look like you're on cloud nine," he laughed as he settled himself in next to her, peeling off his boots and socks and rolling his pant legs up.

Christmas considered what he'd said… The only thing that would make this all perfect was if she'd gotten a call saying that Riza was pregnant. She stuffed the cold glass of scotch in between her tits, the bottom clanking against the .22 pistol she kept with her at all times. Reaching over, she squeezed his hand. "I think I am."


	9. Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_Have I told you how great my beta is? If I haven't mentioned it before, I just want to say that Sammy Quill is the best beta ever. Thank you so much for all your help and assistance while I muddle through this story. I can't thank you enough._ **

Grumman cleared his throat and began to practice his speech again. This was his least favorite part about being the leader of his country: the memorization of speeches that were going to be nitpicked and analyzed by every newspaper and political analyst radio show in the nation, quoted and printed in textbooks, and drawing everyone's eyes and ears toward him. And given his journey to West City would take about two days by rail, he had nothing but time to fill, rehearsing words that were written for him by well paid writers.

Unfortunately for him, it didn't leave him with much alone time and kept his mind full of matters of national importance that needed taking care of. He hadn't been able to even think about what he wanted to say to Chris once he called her. He'd gotten the number to the housing unit assigned to Braeda and it was riding in his wallet behind the picture of his wife.

When he finally arrived at Western Command, Gen. Jameson insisted on showing the Führer a good time by sharing the finest whiskey and women with him in a private luxury suite at the grandest hotel. The waiters who brought up platters of food at around 0400 hours were not allowed into the suite. Instead, the Führer's security detail brought the carts of food in, saving Grumman from having to fight off any bad press the scandalous scene would have caused, which included a blaring phonograph and four dancing girls who poured sour mash liquor down their breasts to drip off pert nipples into guests' open mouths…

When the Grumman and Jameson headed out the next morning for Pendleton, they both looked miserable and hung over. It was during that quiet, bumpy ride that he fought off his pounding headache long enough to think about what he wanted to say to Chris. He was going to tell her loved her, that he _needed_ her. He would apologize for sending Braeda so far away and ask her to come home. He would literally beg her to change her mind. And if none of that worked… he'd throw Braeda in the stockade for charges of… something. Hell, at this point he would even concede to a compromise: allow them to get married on the condition that he got to be with her one night a week.

"Yer awful quiet over thar!" Gen. Jameson bellowed in his thick western accent. "Y'alright?"

"Yes, just thinking over some business I have back home." He turned and grinned. "I oughtta be practicing my speech for tomorrow!"

They drove on, about three hours away from their destination. While Grumman had settled in his mind what he wanted to say, he still had no idea how things were going to pan out. And with a memorial and a dedication to get out of the way, he filed those uneasy thoughts away for later.

* * *

When Riza arrived at the Christmas Inn to discuss wedding plans with the girls, a loud boom caused her hand to fly automatically to the holster wrapped around her shoulder. Then she realized the Strong Arm alchemist had simply begun the renovation.

"Miss Riza!" Jerrica called out from the galley, her chocolate colored head peeking out from around the doorframe. "We're back here!" Just then a crackle of red lightening and grit billowed out from under a tarp at the far wall of the bar that adjoined the apothecary, bathing the tables and chairs in a cloud of dust. "Don't mind Mr. Alex, he's just reinforcing some new walls! Come back here where it's clean!"

The blonde Captain stepped around the bar and walked into the stark white room and was amazed at what she found. The room itself couldn't exactly be called a kitchen because there weren't any stoves or other cooking appliances, but there were some chest style refrigerators and freezers, a giant sink, and some prep tables that might normally hold trays of clean glasses or extra cases of imported beer. Today, however, they were covered in neat stacks of papers and pictures, and each of Roy's 'sisters' were beaming proudly. On closer inspection, Riza found the stacks to be invitation samples, some pictures of different floral arrangements, some pictures of dresses, both wedding and bridesmaid's styles, as well as lists of names of important people (she figured that out after seeing Ling Yao's name at the top of the top page, followed by the Prince of Aerugo. "What's all this?"

"Roy told us ya had a lot to handle, and since he couldn't seem to get Rebecca to call him back, we all pitched in and narrowed everything down for ya," India smiled. She picked up a typed page. "This is the only chapel large enough for the ceremony that was open on June 22nd. We've already put the deposit down and set the time for 4:30. That'll give ya plenty of time to get everything finished so you don't have to rush. Morning weddings are notorious for that, and no one will want to drink at your reception because it's too early. Evening weddings last too late, people get fallin' down drunk and then ya gotta race to catch the last train for your honeymoon. Trust me, this was the best time logically."

Stunned, Riza nodded. "Yes, that makes perfect sense. Thank you so much, you didn't have to do that."

"And Mr. Alex said that as a wedding gift to you that he and General Armstrong would allow you to use their estate for your reception," Vanessa piped up. "He said they've got more than enough room for everyone, and it would be a great way to show some personal hospitality to our foreign guests. And since we knew when and where the wedding and reception were going to be, we had some sample invitations made up so you could choose today and we can get them printed up and mailed out by the weekend."

She slid four invitations toward Riza, whose eyes widened. "I'm impressed with your efficiency and intuitiveness."

"And Roy showed us the dresses that you seemed to like, or at least the ones he said you took time to stop and actually look at. Based on that, and what he said you wanted, we've got a few ideas that should suit you just fine! And India can alter any of the choices to exactly what you want." Jerrica pointed to a stack of white dresses, some taped to a piece of blank paper with what looked like sewing notations.

Tears began to form in Riza's eyes. All the hard decisions she had to make, all the work she had planned to do on this today, and here it was, all done and neatly presented to her so all she had to do was point to the one she wanted. And all it took was for Roy to see it was too much for one person to handle. He'd asked for help on her behalf, and she got the help she needed. None of the women made her feel guilty for it, thought less of her for needing assistance, or teased her about needing a little help. It was true what Roy had told her: she didn't need to do everything on her own. "Are you sure you don't want to join the army and come work for me? We could accomplish such great things together."

"Fuck that!" crowed Vanessa. "I chose this profession and I love what I do. I wouldn't have it any other way. And I'm not talking about just the sex, either. I love working for the Madame."

Riza smiled as Jerrica came to her side and patted her shoulder. "Let's pick out an invitation style. That's the first thing that we should absolutely get done today. The rest we have a little more time to think about, okay?"

Riza nodded as a glass of rosé wine was thrust into her hand. "Everything's easier with booze, honey," India declared as they spread the invitations out before her. "And remember, the invitations are the least memorable part of the whole shindig. They don't gotta be inked in gold and sent in platinum envelopes. They just gotta say 'We're gettin' hitched, here's where and when, let us know if you're comin' by this date'. Don't let it trouble ya."

Riza smiled and began making her decisions, chatting and laughing and having a great time and feeling relieved for the first time in weeks.

* * *

"I love you," said Braeda as he kissed Chris' cheek before walking out the door. "I'll pick up some of that Ishvallan take out on the way home for dinner."

Chris turned and jerked his collar, bringing his face back to hers as she demanded a deeper kiss. When she let him go, she smirked at his red face. "Try not to wear yourself out today, I've got plans for you later." His blush spread, and then he pecked her lips quickly. "I'm serious. We've been here a week and we haven't done anything since the train. It's time we christened the bed."

"Alright, I'll take it easy today if I can." He grabbed his jacket, carrying it instead of wearing it on the ten minute long walk to his new office, waving goodbye as he shut the door behind him.

After he left, she walked out back and got comfortable in the shade of the building on the back stoop, had a cigarette and a cup of coffee, and one of the books from the tightly packed bookcase in her lap. Chris really wasn't a reader, but she didn't want to be rude and drag the radio outside. And since she couldn't smoke inside the apartment, this was her only other choice. Once her patch of shade began to shrink, she went inside and fixed herself a sandwich, and then she knocked at her neighbor's door.

"Hello, Madame Mustang," the young mother smiled. "Please come in!" Chris had been nothing but honest and upfront with her neighbor. She told her she was the Madame of a whorehouse in Central, that the young man she was living with was to be her husband, and that they owned a bar that was currently in the hands of her girls while they waited out Braeda's assignment. She didn't say that the famous Flame alchemist was her nephew and son, she only said her son was also getting ready to be married and that she was expecting grandchildren soon after. "Little Pete just woke up from his nap, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you." Lila closed the door behind them and went to gather her baby from his playpen in the middle of the room.

Chris sat herself on the sofa and called the boy's name as his mother brought him to her. "There's my little friend!" she cooed, curling her large arms around him. The baby grinned toothlessly at her and flailed his arms happily.

"Can I get you anything, Madame?" Lila asked.

"No, I'm fine!" Chris replied as she tickled under the child's chin. "Fine as wine, right Pete?" A giggle erupted from him and she repeated the phrase over and over until finally it lost its funny factor. This was her new normal now: seeing Braeda off to work, reading until late morning, then watching Pete while Lila napped in the afternoon. Once she woke up, it was time to go home and get dinner ready, then Braeda would roll in just before the evening news came on the radio, then they would go upstairs, bathe and go to bed. It was so domestic it almost gagged her if she thought about it too much. But if she just lost herself in other things, she found she could put up with this lifestyle for a little while. Maybe not forever, but it certainly was nice to take a break from the fast pace of life in Central.

When she went back home, she was getting ready to go out for a smoke before Braeda got back. Just as she opened the back door, the phone rang. "Dammit," she cursed to herself, more than ready for a nicotine fix after the puke fest Pete had shared with her that afternoon. She picked up the receiver, "Hello?"

" _Is it alright if I talk to you?_ "

She frowned. "The only thing I wanna hear from you is that you made a mistake and that Braeda's orders have changed to put him back under Gen. Mustang's command."

There was silence for a moment. Then, " _You have every right to be angry with me, I acted on a vindictive whim and I'm sorry._ "

"You're damn right you're sorry!" she bellowed back. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me and my family? Do you have any idea the lengths we're willing to go, the hardships we're willing to endure just so you don't win in the end?" She angrily lit a cigarette, not giving a shit if she was inside or not. "Look at you, Eli! Throwing your weight around in an effort to get _me_ to bend to your will! _ME!_ You know me better than that! You know I don't bend for anyone unless I _want_ to!"

" _I know. I don't know what I was thinking,_ " his voice sounding sad. " _I was so upset when I found out he was asking for you regularly… I mean, you were_ my _girl… And then you announced your engagement to him and it felt like I was losing my wife all over again, but to another man instead of an illness. I was angry. I was hurt._ "

"What are you talking about, 'losing your wife all over again'?" she said as she dragged blue smoke into her lungs. "We aren't anything to each other! You paid me to have sex with you and I did, that's it! You never took me out on a date, never spent time with me outside the bar, there are no emotional ties between us!" She paced the floor. "If you hadn't put the money in my hands, I wouldn't have done anything with you, so stop pretending like there's some kind of great love between us!"

" _Maybe there wasn't for you, but there was for me._ " He sounded defeated and ashamed.

"Listen very carefully to me," she said slowly and calmly. "A whore has several sides to her personality. There's the front she puts up to nab clients and keep 'em coming back to her, the side she puts up when out in society and not trying to draw attention to herself, the side she shows to rival whores and the side her girls and her closest friends and family know. You have only seen one side of me. Braeda is the only person in this world who has seen all four of them. Not even Roy's seen them all, because I was never on the make for a john when he was in the room, I didn't want him to see that." She took a deep breath as he listened in silence. "You don't know _me_. You were only ever a client, that's all. It's the same difference as wanting to marry a pharmacist when all they did was fill a prescription for you."

" _But you don't understand, Chris. When I first lost Belinda and I wandered for over a year after her death… I remember our first time because it was the first time I didn't want to jump off a bridge on the way home. You made me stop hurting inside. I can't forget that. I don't want to lose that!_ "

"Do you ever go home now and think about jumping off a bridge?" she asked.

" _No, not in a very long time._ "

"Then you don't need me anymore anyway! Why don't you run off with that traitor Valerie and let her soothe your old wounds? Tap Roy and tell him to put his Führer boots on and go retire in the countryside with that maid?" She was struggling to keep her voice down so as not to disturb her neighbors, but it was dreadfully hard.

" _Because Valerie isn't you. I want you._ "

"You can't have me. And I don't want to be with you. You need to move on."

" _But I love you! What am I supposed to do with this love I feel for_ you _?_ "

"I'm telling you, Eli, you don't love _me_ , you love the illusion I painted for you. You're in love with a fake! Any whore can take my place, even Valerie."

" _Maybe I'm not making myself clear… Maybe if we could just get together for lunch or something so I can explain it to you face to face-_ "

"Fuck that!"

" _Chris, please-_ "

"No! I don't want to see you! The only thing I want to see is my bedroom that I share with my _fiancé_ back in Central! I want to see my son and my girls and my bar! But _you_? You can go to hell!" She slammed the phone down and felt as her heart raced in her chest. A small grin spread on her face. She knew he would come anyway. And if he was coming, he'd have to put in an itinerary, which meant letting everyone in the army know he was going to Youswell after mysteriously sending a Captain with which he had very little interaction with there. The old bastard didn't know it, but he was stepping right into their trap. As she stepped outside and lit a new cigarette, she smiled wider. It would soon be time to go stay with Jean and Sciezka for a few days.

* * *

Chris 3, Grumman 2

* * *

A few days later, all the noise stopped on the other side of the tarp that divided the Christmas Inn and Klingman's Apothecary. A monstrous man with bright blue eyes and a perfect blond mustache emerged from under the blue plastic sheet. "Ladies, could you please take a look to be sure I've done this part of your renovations correctly?" he called. Three women came out of the galley, drying wet hands off on dingy looking aprons, India eying Alex Armstrong like a bourbon ball on Midwinter's Eve. He pulled back the blue divider and the girls' mouths dropped open.

"Oh my gosh, this is incredible!" Vanessa gasped. "It's just like Madame described!" The plain plaster walls had been molded into brick shapes and colored a faded red, as if the building had been there longer than it had. The floors were smooth dark wood, and the wall sconces were in the shape of emeralds. The large chandelier that hung off center of the room (but would be in alignment with a second one once the bar was renovated) was also in the shape of an emerald with decorative little glass pieces in varying hues of green. The ceiling was alchemically altered to resemble brass colored metal tiles with a decorative patterns stamped into them. There was a small stage in one corner, and the store room had been opened up into more seating and two restrooms. But the design and the ambience of the room had been nailed down exactly as the Madame had drawn on a piece of ledger paper (it was a little known fact that Chris had taken art classes as a child and was good at it).

"What do you think?" Alex asked in his deep voice, unsure of the job he'd done.

"I think they'll both love it!" Jerrica said, clapping her hands and bouncing up and down in her spiky heels. "And the bar will look like this, too?"

"According to her drawings, yes." A light blush colored his cheeks. "Be honest, is it good? Can you find any error in what's done?"

The girls looked carefully around the room, walking slowly throughout the space, looking hard for any inconsistencies or the scaly appearance of obvious transmutation. They found nothing, no flaws at all, and with a proud sparkle, the man ripped his shirt off and declared he would be the first to pass down the art of architectural alchemy down the following generations of his line.

"Hey, maybe we could take some pictures and send them to her!" Vanessa suggested. "I bet she's missin' home like the devil anyways, it'd be good for her to see how well everything's goin'."

"Have Falman or Miss Riza heard anything about an itinerary to Youswell yet?" India asked as her fingers gently caressed the glass of one of the sconces.

"No," answered Vanessa. "Right now he's returnin' from Pendleton. I imagine if he's got plans to go to Youswell the itinerary would have to wait until after he returns from there. What's his upcomin' schedule looking like?"

Jerrica closed her eyes, drawing the rest of his month up from memory. "He'll be getting some free time coming up in May. Until then he really can't go anywhere."

Vanessa nodded. "Alright, let's get some pictures of this part of our new home, see if we can't get Roy and Miss Riza in the same place for ten minutes so we can take a damn engagement photo, and then we'll write her with what we know, using the Filly code. Oh, and maybe we can send her some of those butter cookies she likes so much."

"Prob'lly should send her some talcum powder from that boutique she gets her lingerie from. No doubt she's sweatin' her ass off and gettin' a rash!" The girls all laughed, thanked Alex for all his hard work and asked him to join them in a celebratory beer.

* * *

Sgt. Dieruff elbowed Maj. Greene. "Is he still going on about that woman?" he whispered as they kept watch over the door to the private car the Führer called his own for the return trip to Central.

"Honestly, I don't know what his obsession with her is." Grumman's voice occasionally floated through the door, usually something about Youswell, Braeda or Chris in the words he grumbled to himself as he paced the small suite.

"Who is she?" the young man asked his superior.

"Some whore. And she's not even that pretty." Maj. Greene signaled for the pair of MPs near the rear of the car to trade places with them, and then the two of them stepped outside to the deck, Dieruff shaking out a cigarette and passing it to the Major before lighting his own.

"So he's hung up on some old whore, huh?" He blew smoke from his nose as he chuckled. "Sounds like my older brother, except she was a real looker."

"Well this woman has to be in her sixties, fat as a dairy cow, real mannish looking face, and her voice sounds like… roofing tar." He grinned at Dieruff's disgusted expression. "I guess love is also deaf."

The countryside rolled past them, dark and serene despite the noise of the train clambering down the rails. "And the dude that's taken her from him, what's his deal?"

"Just a Captain. As far as I know he was one of the men directly involved in protecting Bradley's wife when all that crazy shit went down with the coup and the solar eclipse. He worked under Gen. Mustang for years and then all the sudden he gets shipped to Youswell." He leaned in close to his counterpart. "Between you and me, I think ole Grumman's jealous as hell. I think he thinks sending that Braeda to Youswell is going to change the broad's mind about marrying him."

The end of Dieruff's cigarette glowed in the dark as he drew in another mouthful of smoke. "Don't you think that's a little ridiculous, sir? I mean… he's using his power to directly fuck with two people's lives. And he's the Führer, don't you think he could have any woman he wanted? He shouldn't have to work so hard for a woman who's clearly not interested."

Greene took the last puff off his cigarette and flipped the butt off the back of the deck, leaning against the railing and heaving a sigh. "I don't know what he sees in her, but evidently it's important enough that he's going through all this just to win her back. If he could only take his rose colored glasses off for just a minute… He doesn't have a chance with her. I've seen her and the Captain together. They got that love that everyone hopes they'll have one day. You can just see it. He should just give up on this venture before it gets too out of hand."

"Yep. If Cpt. Hawkeye even thinks for a second that he's misusing his power, she'll be all over him like stink on shit, shoving him out of the way to get her future husband in there."

Greene tossed him a glare. "That's not true. Hawkeye is probably the most professional soldier in the army, and don't ever let me hear you talk bad about her again, Sergeant." Dieruff stammered an apology and Greene asked for another cigarette. "That woman's killed more people than you've ever met in your entire lifetime, and she's the epitome of logic and efficiency. In all honesty, neither of us are worthy enough to even stand in her shadow. Besides the Ice Queen, the only other person suitable to run this country is Gen. Mustang. Just because Hawkeye happens to be marrying him doesn't mean she would ever try to get him in the Führer's office faster than necessary."

Dieruff stood nervously off to the side, fidgeting with some flaking paint. "Again, I apologize, sir. I regret that I don't know much about Cpt. Hawkeye, and it was rude of me to make such assumptions about her. Please forgive me."

Greene flipped this second cigarette butt over the tracks as well, then turned with a smile. "When we get back to Central, maybe you should do some research on her." He clapped the young man on his shoulder. "Let's go back before he realizes we're missing."

"So she's really important?" the Sergeant asked as he opened the door for Maj. Greene.

"She was the top sniper in Ishval, and by the end of her academy days she could outshoot the instructors. And would you believe she'd never fired a shot before that? She was an alchemist's daughter!" The remainder of their shift was filled with legends of their superior, the rantings of their Führer, and the sound of their transport rumbling back home.

* * *

Riza unlocked the door, nearly beaming. She'd just come from the post office where she had just finished mailing all the invitations. The girls had helped her decide on bridesmaids' dresses, a caterer, and the bouquets. If they could only get her to decide on a dress, everything would be just about ready. As a result, she'd brought all the bridal gown magazines back home and decided to pick something, even if it meant picking parts that she liked the best from several dresses.

As she unhooked Hayate's leash and sat her purse and bundle of magazines on the table, she realized she could hear someone panting… in her bedroom. Drawing her gun, she moved slowly down the short hallway while Hayate wagged his tail outside her bedroom door.

"Rizaaaa…" she heard whispered, and she realized it was Roy. But why was he even here? Why hadn't he realized she was here yet? She holstered her pistol and eased the door open and the sight that greeted her caused her breath to hitch.

The General was seated on the edge of her bed, a headset on his head attached to a large tape recorder, one of her shirts clutched in one hand and held under his nose, and his other hand… holding himself. And moving very quickly. She noticed a bottle of her body lotion open on her nightstand and could smell its fragrance in the air, and she felt a heat pool in her guts and fire spread itself across her face.

He was masturbating in her bed, to the things that reminded him of her, because he was too proud to lose their wager. As Riza watched him, she vacillated between stopping him, watching him… and joining him. She shooed Hayate away from the door and went in silently. Biting her lip, she stripped bare by the door, then walked over to stand in front of him, tugging the headphones off his head, his eyes opening wide, and taking a startled breath.

She listened for a moment to find out what it was he was listening to and then she leaned over and switched the machine off. "Are you so determined not to lose our bet that you'd go so far as to tape me touching myself, only so you could do the same?" He didn't answer, only swallowed hard. Her hand came to his face and she kissed him. "I'll kill you later. For now, lay back."

"But you'll lose-" he said as she gently pushed him to his back and straddled him.

"I don't care."

"And what about a baby?"

She blinked as his breath came raggedly. For a moment, they just looked back at each other. "Are you ready to be a father?"

He sat up and buried his face in her neck, "I'm ready to be anything for you; a husband, a father, Führer… even just a man. Whatever you want me to be, I'll become."

"That's not what I asked, Roy," she said quietly, his name alone being a sweeter pet name than any other thing she could have called him. "Are you ready for midnight feedings and dirty diapers and a responsibility that we'll have for the rest of our lives?"

He leaned his head back and looked her in the eyes. "If I can manage to care for an entire nation, I think I can handle an infant." His hand slid from her waist to her hip and he rocked himself against her. "I'm ready. Are you ready?"

"I've been dreaming of having a baby with you since I was a teenager. I'm ready to have a real family…" She leaned forward, her mouth on his, and forced Roy to recline back again. She felt him hardening quickly underneath her, and she reached down and held him steady as she slid down onto his length, both of them sharing delicious moans of ecstasy. They rocked together in a rhythm older than memory, endearments and encouragements spilling out in the form of whispers, grunts and whines. Roy toppled over the edge first, teeth gritted so hard he thought they would shatter.

Just he felt Riza begin to slow down, he grabbed her and flipped her to her back, mouth and fingers wandering over her heated body. "Not yet, just a little bit longer, my little mother," he panted, trying hard to not lose his erection but failing miserably. His thumb wormed its way down to her nubbin and pressed and circled hard while he lapped and laved at her nipples. To Roy's relief, she quickly shattered around what remained of his length and wrapped her entire frame around him. Her arms and legs caged him to her and he surrendered to her sweet kisses once more.

In the long moments afterward, they lingered in each others embrace, sleep threatening to claim them both as the heat of their activities faded. "Stay the night," she murmured. "Stay every night."

"'Kay."

Her hand rested on his bare chest and she could feel his fingers trailing slowly back and forth over the skin of her flank, almost tickling but not quite. "I love you, Roy."

His head lolled toward her and he kissed the top of her head as she snuggled into his shoulder. "I love you too, Riza." Then his eyes shot open as he felt her grab his balls and squeeze.

"You ever tape me touching myself again and I'll crush these."

"Yes, ma'am!" he answered immediately. She shifted next to him, rolling to sit up and then cross the room to grab her robe. "Where are you going?"

"I'm hungry, so I thought I'd fix us some dinner. Want to help?"

Roy grabbed his boxers and tugged a pair of sleeping pants he'd brought over (just in case, he'd told her) and kissed her before she opened the door and Hayate pounced on him.

* * *

"Ma-Ma!"

Sciezka squealed and clapped her hands, a wide smile on her face. "Jean, did you hear that?"

He looked up from a stack of shipping manifests from that week's inventory. Little Jackie was drooling and smiling, chirping for her mother over and over again. The more Sciezka fussed over her, the bigger the show Jackie put on. He was reminded briefly of Maes Hughes and he grinned. "She's a smarty, that's for sure."

"Of course she is, aren't you, Sweet Pea?" Sciezka snatched the baby up and held her tight for a moment before blowing kisses against her chubby little cheeks. Some giggles and a tickles later and Sciezka held her daughter at arms length. "Shoo-wee! Someone's stinky!" Jacqueline Havoc smiled toothlessly as her mother stood up and raced to the baby's room, making up a song about stinky diapers and dying roses. Just another normal night at the house Jean shared with his daughter and his girlfriend.

"Hey, stir the beans for me please!" Sciezka called from the other room.

"Okay!" Jean lit a cigarette and then got up from the kitchen table. As he stirred the baked beans that would become one of tonight's side dishes, the phone rang. He laid the saucy spoon down on the stove top between the burners and answered the call. "Hello?"

" _Hey Jean!_ "

"What's up, Braeda! How's Youswell?"

" _Fucking hot, man. Other than that, it actually isn't all that bad._ " He sounded optimistic, almost cheerful.

"That's good to know. What do they gotcha doin'?" He leaned against the wall, listening as Jackie jabbered to her mother, who was still singing some silly song.

" _Boring shit like counting hardware. Yesterday I had to count all these hex bolts that had been stock piled from an old mine. And of course I had to count the nuts, bolts and washers for six different sizes of the same damn thing._ " He huffed. " _But my commanding officer is a real nice guy, Col. Jacobs. He's been out here for years from what I've been told. And Chris is making a good time out of it._ "

Jean laughed taking a drag from his cigarette. "I woulda thought she'd be stir crazy by now."

" _Turns out our neighbor's got a four month old son, so she babysits everyday around 1100, lets the mom get in a nap and brushes up on her baby skills at the same time. She says it's good practice for those grandchildren she keeps hoping for, but as long as it gives her something to do everyday and she enjoys it, I'm happy for her._ "

Jean overheard Chris in the background telling him to hurry up and 'tell him the news'. "What's she goin' on about?"

" _She talked to Grumman a few days ago and he mentioned coming out here to visit. We've got our ears to the ground waiting to hear from Riza when he's planning on coming, but as soon as we know something, I'll let you know when I'll be shipping her out to you guys._ "

"Hey, both of you guys are welcome anytime. We got the sofa bed here in the living room, I know it ain't much but it beats the floor. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't break my couch, though," he replied, the grin evident in his voice.

Braeda chuckled. " _If I ever broke your couch, I would buy you a brand new one, any one you like. And I doubt I'll be able to get away and be back in time, but I'll keep it in mind, buddy._ " Chris' voice rang through the room and Braeda gently shushed her. " _Hang on, Chris wants to say hi._ "

There was some rustling and then suddenly a thick, raspy voice came over the line. " _My favorite blond!_ " she cried. " _How's everything going?_ "

Havoc stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray and chuckled. "Everything's great, sugar tits! I hear you're cheatin' on my little girl with some other little rug rat," he playfully growled at her.

" _Hey now, it's been years since I've been around any babies. All the time I'm spending with Pete will just make me a better playmate for Jackie. Looks like I'll be coming to visit soon, make sure Sciezka gets a bottle of scotch before I get there._ "

"No problem, honey. Hey, I'd love to keep chattin', but Sciezka's got Jackie up on the changin' table and I'm supposed to be keepin' an eye on dinner, so I gotta let ya go for now." He told her he'd have Sciezka call her after they ate and to let him know when she was coming, then hung up the phone and raced back to the beans.

Sciezka came around the corner with a dry baby who was playing peek-a-boo with her blanket. "Was that Braeda and the Madame?"

Jean smiled, wrapping his arms around both his girls. "Yep. Looks like the old man's takin' the bait. She said he wants to talk to her face to face, so it won't be long before he puts his paperwork in." He dropped a kiss to both auburn heads and turned back to the stove, cutting the heat to the now boiling pot of beans. "Probably won't be long and Grumman'll order Braeda back to Central. So when Chris comes, we'll need to make the most of her visit."

Sciezka shook her head and strapped the baby into her high chair and brought her some toys to keep her entertained while she finished making the meal. "Grumman doesn't have any idea who he's playing this game with. If she can get some real proof that he's abusing his power, the high court will force him out on his rear."

"Guys like him who are still part of the top brass are the reason that I don't go back to the military. Well, that and I like livin' out here in the sticks with you," he said quietly. "We'll just stay out here and mind my parents' store forever."

She glanced at him sidelong. "Careful, Jean… That was dangerously close to a marriage proposal."

"I know."

She put the potatoes into a large bowl and began mashing them. "Did you mean it to be?"

He bent over and pulled the meatloaf out of the oven, not meeting her gaze. When she asked him again, he mumbled, "Maybe. I dunno."

Sciezka laughed, causing him to furrow his brows in confusion. "If you really meant it, you'd know. It doesn't matter to me either way and I'll live here with Jackie as long as you let me. I don't need a ring and a piece of paper to let me know how you feel about me." She patted his shoulder. "Let's eat!"

Jean nodded and decided that as long as she was okay with their agreement, he could continue to confidently tell his mother to butt out. "Yeah, let's eat. I'm starvin'!"


	10. The Walls Have Ears

The first day Braeda was given off, he slept in until 1000 hours. After that, he and the Madame packed up little Pete into his buggy and strolled around town, Braeda showing her the route he took to report in every morning, Chris showing him where the general store and liquor store were. They ate lunch overlooking the town's narrow river in the shade of a dried up, ancient cypress tree. Just before the heat of the day could sneak up on them they made their way back, dropping off Pete and drawing the curtains in an effort to keep the temperature down in the apartment. Mostly, they lazed around listening to the radio.

Sometime around 1500 hours, the mail truck ran and Braeda walked down to pick it up. Most of the time they didn't get anything, though there had been some notices from both military and civilian places. Today though, there was a big envelope that had been addressed in Vanessa's super neat print, in addition to a small package. He hurried back to the apartment, grinning.

"Hey, sweetheart! Guess what came in the mail?" he shouted as he opened the door. He heard the flush of the toilet, then the sound of water running, and then her bare feet coming down the stairs. "It's from home!" he smiled.

Her face lit up and she said, "Open it! Let's see what's in there!" She watched as he pulled out a letter.

"'Mr. and Mrs. Madame,' Oh that's not funny, don't laugh!" he huffed, fisting the letter in his hand as she cackled. He turned his attention back to it and began to read aloud again. "'Our Amestrian Cream finished out her half mile race in 1st place! She did a top notch job, much better than we expected. Wish you were here to give her a carrot as congratulations, she seems to miss you.' What the hell is this? You own horses?"

She smirked. "It's code, honey. An Amestrian Cream is the lightest blond colored horse, so she means Armstrong. All the 'he's' become 'she's' and vice versa. He must've finished the apothecary and they're wanting approval for monetary payment. A carrot is above standard payment, an apple is standard, and feed is below average." She fiddled with her lighter. "Keep reading, if they've coded it, there must be something in there about Grumman."

Nodding, Braeda continued. "'One of the stable hands said that our oldest mare, the dappled gray Holstein, had to be moved temporarily to a barn out in Pendleton for a few days. Something about a routine checkup by a special vet.' Alright, then that must be Grumman?"

"Yep, out to Pendleton on typical business, likely a public relations event or something," she replied.

"Hmm. 'Don't worry though, she'll be back in about a week, then it's usual exercises and training, then we're thinking sometime about the middle of May she'll be up for a private steeplechase just outside Youswell.' Oh, I see."

"So that's when they think he's going to come." She paced the room, twirling her lighter around in her hand as she did so.

"I wonder if Vato or Riza's heard anything yet."

"Dunno. Keep reading."

The letter went on to say that they thought the old mare was beginning to show signs of confusion and distress and that they hoped the horse wouldn't have to be put out to pasture while they were still in Youswell. Then, in completely plain Amestrian, was written that enclosed were some photos of Roy and Riza that they'd taken to print in the newspaper announcement of the wedding, which would appear in the next Sunday newspaper. Then at the end were the girls' three signatures with a big 'WE MISS YOU!" written across the bottom of the page.

Enclosed with the letter was an invitation to Roy and Riza's wedding with a note from her 'son' inside, in a code with which Braeda was familiar, and he translated it to no matter what, they were both required to attend and to hell with Grumman. Also in the envelope were the photos of the apothecary, some pictures of Roy and Riza, and a few carefully taken shots of horses from pictures they already had; a photo of a photo. Braeda rummaged through the box and pulled out a tin of butter cookies and a round cardboard box of Delilah's Delightful Dusting Powder in Fresh Lilac scent for the Madame, and a bag of Braeda's favorite hard candy. They both smiled at each other before indulging in their sweets.

"Mid May then," Braeda commented as Chris plucked a cigarette from her case and fiddled with her lighter. "If he's not back in Central yet, then that's why we haven't heard from our guys."

"And the end June is the wedding. Looks like Emerald's will be ready to open by the end of May at the rate Alex is going… I wonder if I really shouldn't head back to Central for a bit when he comes." She opened the back door, lit up, drew smoke deep into her body and then released it in a single sigh. "What to do…"

"Go to Jean's as planned, Emerald's can open without you. I don't want you so far away from me that I couldn't get to you if I had to. Going to Central is like walking into the lion's den, remember?" His large hand rubbed gently at her neck, then slid down her spine and over her hip, then he pulled her closer to him. "Besides, they're expecting you and are excited as hell to see you."

A worried look came over her. "Sometimes I wonder if all this effort is going to be worth it. We're going to ridiculous lengths to keep that old codger at bay…"

Braeda met her eyes and held her cheek in his hand. "I'd go to even further lengths for you. Don't ever worry about that." She appeared as if she wanted to rebuke that statement, but he stopped her. "You're worth it to me, and I don't regret choosing you to be my wife." He leaned down and kissed her, the squeezed her tightly to him, one hand slipping over and over through her sleek ponytail. "I'd steal for you, I'd walk the desert for you… I'd do anything for you, even kill someone or take a bullet in your place."

The Madame swallowed the lump in her throat, touched that someone thought so much of her, and she fought tears as she buried her face under Braeda's chin. She felt his strong arms squeeze her tighter for a moment, then he kissed the top of her head and his hand found hers.

"Come on, let me take you upstairs and remind you just how much you mean to me."

Chris looked down at her feet. "Braeda… Just being with you… Don't get me wrong, the sex is incredible, it's just…" She wiped at her cheek before looking up at him. "In my profession it doesn't mean anything. There's nothing attached to it, it was just a service I offered. But you showed me _love_." Another droplet escaped her false lashes. "No one's ever told me they would take a bullet for me before," she said with a watery sounding laugh.

"I would in a heartbeat. And I wouldn't think twice about it either." He swiped a tear away with his thumb. "Don't cry, sweetheart. I love you, and everything that we and our adopted family are doing to keep Grumman from busting us up is going to be well worth everything we're going through. And on our wedding day, at our reception, we'll play darts with his picture."

She genuinely laughed and Braeda smiled. The Madame kissed him deep, inhaling the spicy smell of his aftershave and hugging him close. "I love you so much," she said as they parted.

"Can I please take you upstairs now?" he asked. "I really wanna make slow, sweaty love to you up in our stifling bedroom."

Christmas stubbed out her cigarette and took his hand as he led them back inside. "Are you gonna do that thing with your mouth?"

"Sweetheart, I'll do anything you want me to do, just get up these steps and get out of those clothes," he said as he pinched her butt.

Hours later, just as the sun was beginning to sink, they fell into a tangled slumber in the middle of the messy bed. They were each wearing tired little smiles and dark love bites in various places. The Madame sighed quietly and Braeda's arm slipped around her waist. Nothing was going to keep them apart, not even sleep.

* * *

Dieruff had just helped push the tray table up to Grumman's lap when the old man asked for Riza. "Captain!" he called out. He was sitting in a cozy wingback chair near the window, a tray table loaded down with a salad, some delicious smelling pasta and a slice of decadent chocolate cake. As he sipped at some wine, his granddaughter entered the room.

"Yes, sir?"

He beckoned her over and handed her a set of keys. "In the glove compartment of my car is a card with verification for the bearer to eat at Dino's on the Führer's tab. Why don't you and your beau go out for a nice lunch, my treat?"

She eyed him suspiciously. "Do you get free meals out of respect or do the taxpayers cover your bill, sir?"

Grumman waved her away. "My dear, the man's been one of my oldest friends since before I was even a General. The card is simply to prevent anyone from saying they're a friend of mine is all, there's no foul play I assure you!" He bent over and inhaled the aroma of his food. "I promise you'll enjoy the fare."

Riza gave a single nod to him and turned. "As you wish, Your Excellency." She didn't miss the strange look that Sgt. Dieruff was giving her as walked out of his office and into Cpl. MacLendon's, shutting the door behind her. She leaned in toward the Führer's secretary and murmured, "Keep your ears open. He's getting rid of me for a while. Just call that number Gen. Mustang gave you if you hear anything."

The dark headed woman nodded and went back to work, though a little more slowly than usual, trying to listen for anything important. Just as she thought the afternoon might go off without a snag, Maj. Greene came walking in.

"Good afternoon, Corporal," he smiled as he walked past her desk.

"Good afternoon, sir," she answered cheerfully. She noticed he had a folder of papers in his hands, and then heard the two of them talking in muffled voices through the door. MacLendon rose from her chair, quietly shut the outer door and dialed her telephone as quietly as she could.

" _Christmas Inn, can I help you?_ "

"Um, it's Cpl. MacLendon," she stammered. "I'm one of Mustang's team…"

" _Ahh, so the old man's talkin' funny?_ " she heard on the other end, and imagined a dark skinned woman with wide hips in a skin tight, red sequined dress.

"Ah, well… not exactly. See, he got rid of Capt. Hawkeye, sent her out to lunch with Gen. Mustang, and then Maj. Green showed up almost as soon as she left…"

" _Okay honey, get as close to the door jamb as you can and hold the phone right over the crack. The tapes are already rollin'._ "

"A-alright, ma'am." She crept over to the door, first putting her ear near the jamb to find out where to best place the receiver, then found just the right spot.

* * *

"What can you tell me, Major."

"Looks like there's some visitations coming up for the next two weeks," he answered, flipping through a very detailed calendar. "Mostly heads of strategic combat from the Academy. The first is the head of battlefield simulations on Wednesday, and then weapons technology on Thursday. You've got a meeting with the judicial council on the 27th, then for the next two weeks we'll be going over the bills from the latest session of the Council of Advisors… The earliest you could leave would be May 13th, and by that time it will be soon enough to consider a trip to Youswell anyway for an update on the inventory and a briefing of the infrastructure planning committee." He shuffled through a few more pages of the calendar. "Beginning June 10th, there will be diplomatic meetings between the leaders of the surrounding nations in anticipation of Mustang's wedding… So we could leave as early as May 19th but we would have to leave Youswell no later than June 5th in order to be back in time and rested. And that's if you work on speeches while you're on the train both ways and agree to actually do some work while we're gone." He looked at the Führer. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Denied, Major," he grumbled as he tucked his napkin into his collar. "She _is_ worth it and I _will_ get her."

"Think logically about this for just a moment, sir," Greene continued anyway. "If Capt. Hawkeye suspects you're still after this woman-"

"She doesn't. I promised her I wouldn't mention it in her presence."

"Still, Your Excellency… If she thinks for even a moment you're abusing your authority…" He trailed off, hoping the Führer would see his point without him having to actually say it.

Just as Grumman was ready to explode a string of curses at his aide, Dieruff interrupted him. "Your Excellency!" he said cheerfully. "I've got a proposition for you."

"What do you mean, son? Can't you see we're in the middle of scheduling something here!"

"Well, as I understand sir, you're hell bent on getting this woman to fall in love with you, right?"

Grumman's eyes narrowed at him, "Whatever you're thinking of doing just spit it out."

"Capt. Braeda is the key here. As long as he's around she's going to stick with him…." He trailed off. He took a dramatic breath (for effect, of course) and said, "So naturally we have to take him out." He watched as Greene's mouth opened a little and a disgusted look plastered itself across his face. "And of course we'll have to do it in a way so as to make you look like the good guy." He flashed a devilish grin at him. "And I'm willing to do it, for a promotion of course."

"Are you crazy?" Greene yelled in a whisper. "It's bad enough what the Führer's doing, but now you're willing to _kill a man for a promotion?_ "

Dieruff shrugged. "We all get what we want, it's a win-win."

Grumman's eyes seemed to get lost in his pasta, and Greene exclaimed, "Don't tell me you're seriously considering this, sir?"

"He makes a logical observation, Major. As long as Braeda's in the picture, Christmas will continue to stick near him." He steepled his fingers and continued to think out loud. "No, I don't think we'll have him killed. She'd never forgive me if that happened, even if she couldn't prove I was behind the orders. No, we'll put him in the stockade. Frame him for something huge and throw him away."

"But Führer Grumman, to even do that is a misuse of your title and power!" Greene was doing all he could to make the old man see reason in an unreasonable situation. "Isn't that what led to the coup d'état that got you into this position in the first place?"

"What I'm doing affects only two lives, the rest of this country will be secure and safe and untouched by me," Grumman said sternly. "I have always loved my country and will continue to do what's best for it and our citizens."

"You've got a _personal_ vendetta against this man, and you shouldn't use your authority over him to settle your score!" He took a breath, his face reddening with frustration. "Don't you see it's _wrong_?"

The Führer looked back at him, waiting for him to calm down a bit. When Greene's breath more or less returned to normal, he asked, "Are you quite finished, Major?"

Greene straightened up and tugged at his uniform jacket. "I believe I've made my point, sir."

"Good. Now that this is out of the way, I'd like for you to make the arrangements to get me to Youswell. We'll leave on May 27th. It won't appear as if we're rushing out of town if we wait a few days." He went back to eating his meal as if nothing had happened. Dieruff looked at him with an expression of pity, then went back to sorting through the mail addressed to the Führer's office.

"Y-yes, sir. I'll go right away to begin typing up the itinerary."

"Keep it away from the Captain's eyes, Major. I promised her she wouldn't have to deal with anything pertaining to Captain Braeda." He popped a juicy meatball slathered in tomato sauce into his mouth as Major Greene walked hurriedly toward the door, eager to get out of the room and somewhere where he could find a stiff drink.

* * *

MacLendon heard footsteps coming hard and fast towards her from the other side of the door, and she whispered a quick goodbye into the phone before scurrying to hang it up. She'd heard the whole exchange, every word of it, and thankfully, so did the recording equipment at… wherever the line she dialed rang into. She sat down behind her desk quickly and pulled out a bottle of correction fluid and began whiting out random lines on the first sheet of paper she could reach.

The door opened and Greene stepped through. "See you later, Corporal." He didn't smile, he didn't even look toward her (what a waste of supplies!), just keep striding toward the hallway, probably in an effort to put as much distance between him and Grumman as fast as he could.

"Have a good afternoon, Major," she replied worriedly.

He stopped in his tracks and walked back. "Deena," he said, and nearly grinned at the surprised look on her face at the use of her given name. "If you hear anything weird between those two in there, please let me know. It's very important."

"Yes, sir," she answered, her cheeks pink. "I'll let you know right away, sir."

He gave her a soft smile. "Thank you very much. I'll be back later."

This time when he turned and left, he didn't seem as angry. In fact, he looked a little relieved. MacLendon capped the correction fluid and slid the paper into the trashcan. The young came to two very important conclusions: she needed to speak to Capt. Hawkeye right away, and they needed to figure out how to get Greene on their side.

She knocked on the door to the Führer's office. "Your Excellency? I'm going to take my lunch now," she called. She heard a muffled approval and turned to grab her purse. Too upset to eat, she opted to head straight for Gen. Mustang's office instead, knowing the Captain would walk with her fiancé back to the office they used to share.

* * *

"It was nice of him to send us out to such a nice place," Roy commented as he held a door open for her at Central Command. "Still makes me wonder though why he sent you out."

"I trust MacLendon, if she heard anything she'll let me know." They walked together back to his office, chatting about other things, like what they would have for dinner and if they would be going to the May Day festival. When they reached the office, they found their newest informant sitting Fuery's seat while the communications expert used the top of a filing cabinet as a temporary desk.

"Capt. Hawkeye," the Corporal squeaked as she jumped to her feet. "I need to speak with you right away."

Roy nodded and said, "You did right in coming here. Let's talk in my office." He gave a pat on the shoulder to Fuery as he passed him and guided the two women into his antechamber. He closed the door and smiled. "So what kind of hijinks has Grumman been up to this time?"

"I don't even know where to begin, sir," she said as she began to tremble.

Riza steered her toward one of the matching sofas and sat down beside her. "Why don't you start with what happened after I left."

MacLendon took a deep breath and began to tell her story, about Greene's suspicious and sudden arrival, how she heard Dieruff's offer to assassinate Braeda for a promotion, Greene's outburst at even the idea of such a thing, the trip to Youswell; all of it. When she was finished, she said meekly, "If I may be so bold, I think we should get Greene on our side."

Roy thought for a moment, then looked at Riza. "I've heard he's sort of an idiot."

Riza frowned. "He's not an idiot… just a little careless is all. However, he's incredibly loyal. And a tantrum like that only proves that his loyalty lies with this country and the law, not the person who claims the title of Führer."

"Can we trust him is the big question. If he blabs anything to that Dieruff character-"

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" MacLendon asked. Roy gave her a look that said 'You have to ask?' She took a breath and said, "Pardon my language, but Dieruff's an asshole." The Captain and the General's eyes went wide at the demure woman using such a word, but she continued, "I doubt the two of them consider each other friends and if the Major's vehement stance is anything to go by, you don't have to worry about him saying anything to that twerp. However, I do wonder what he might say to other people, which could always lead back to Dieruff. If you're going to include him in whatever you've got planned, you'd better make it painfully clear to him that he is to keep his mouth shut and his eyes and ears open."

Roy grinned at his bride to be. "When this is over and I take up the title, I'm definitely making her my top assistant." He stood up and then walked to the window. "I want you here when I talk to him, Riza. I want him to know that you know what's going on so that he doesn't feel like he's alone in this."

"Of course." She stood up and he strolled to her side, planting a quick kiss to her cheek. "I'll have the Corporal let you know when we're coming."

"Alright. And MacLendon, you're doing you're doing a great job. You have my sincerest thanks." He smiled at her when she blushed, and then showed them both to the door.

As the two women strode back to their own office, MacLendon giggled. "I never expected to be part of Mustang's elite team."

Riza grinned back. "I don't think we expected to ever be needed again for yet another coup. But trust me, the General would never count you among his most trusted if he didn't trust you explicitly."

"Well, it's certainly an honor, ma'am," she said quietly.

"We're glad to have such a competent addition. You're a perfect fit," Riza said as they arrived in the Führer's wing of the southern side of the building. After clearing security they moved on to Grumman's inner offices. "Just continue to keep your ear to the ground and be as observant as possible, and we'll be able to get through all of this without any unnecessary trouble."

"Yes, ma'am." She slipped her purse back into her desk drawer and got to work on a fresh stack of paperwork as Riza went on to visit with Grumman personally.

* * *

India lit a cigarette and poured herself a drink as she played the tapes for the others. "May 27th then. That's when he'll be leaving, so as long as she leaves by the 30th he won't get her."

"I don't think we should say anything to the Madame until you get concrete proof that this is indeed the date," Roy said as he sat a glass of wine down for Riza. He was playing bartender to the small group of people who were gathered at his aunt's establishment. "No sense in riling her up until we know for certain. Falman," he said looking at his oldest subordinate, "I want you to find out everything you can about Sgt. Dieruff. And Vanessa, I might need you to help us out a little, too. A few drinks and a little alone time with him might open him wide up about what's going to go down."

"Then maybe Lt. Falman and I should work together," she suggested. "If he's going to find out this jackass's back story, then I'll have more to work with when we finally meet."

Falman's cheeks pinked and he cleared his throat. "I think that's a great idea. Imagine, two Vanessa's working together!" he said with a nervous smile.

Roy laughed. "That's right! That was your code name when we were hunting down Scar!" They all shared a laugh, then fell apart when they remembered Braeda's name was 'Braidykins'. Roy went on to add the bit about trying to recruit Greene to their efforts, India told him to let MacLendon know she'd done a terrific job with the surveillance, and then the meeting sort of dissolved. The girls decided enough was enough with Riza's excuses on why she couldn't pick a wedding dress and all but dragged her kicking and screaming to decide on one from a final narrowing down of 3 different styles. Armstrong and Fuery went home, and that left Falman and Roy to finish their liquor.

"Y'know," Roy said slyly, "I would suggest buying her for the night and getting your tension with her out of the way before it has a chance to affect your work together." Falman didn't say anything, just finished off his gin and tonic and asked for another. "I'm not trying to embarrass you or anything, it's just I can speak from experience on these things. She's going to distract you if you wait, and we can't afford to be distracted." Falman nodded, nursing his drink.

Roy gathered up the dirty glasses and took them in the back to wash them up before snatching his girlfriend up and taking her home. "I think you might have a customer, Vanessa," he said as he fished a washrag out of scalding, soapy water.

Vanessa excused herself from the others and wandered out to the bar, seeing no one but Falman sitting there. She perched herself on the barstool next to him, saying, "That's weird, Roy said I might have a customer. Did you see where he went?" At first, Vato's expression was shocked, and then he looked into his glass, then picked up and knocked it back. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet and pulled out a substantial amount of money… and laid it on the bar top in front of Vanessa.

"He meant me. I'm the client."

She apologized to him, then took his hand. "It seems we're on the same wavelength, Lieutenant." Her other hand shoved the stack of bills he offered her back to him. "But just knowin' about your spectacular memory and knowin' that you're _never_ gonna forget bein' with me makes it worth my time." He tried to give her the money anyway, but she solidly refused, and after he'd finally put it back, she led him upstairs to her 'office' where he burned every square inch of her into his mind.


	11. Parting Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is mention of Riza's wedding dress in the chapter. I actually have a picture of it! go to **desmond.imageshack.us/Himg834/scaled.php?server=834 &filename=sdress.jpg&res=medium** to see it!
> 
> Major hugs to my beta SammyQuill, who recently graduated from med school!

On the morning of May 27th, Grumman boarded a train to Youswell, personally escorted by his security detail and with his newest right hand man, Sgt. Dieruff, at his side. Riza and Major Green saw them to the train station, and instead of returning straight to their office, they went to Roy's office instead.

"May I ask why we're here visiting the General, Capt. Hawkeye?" Greene asked as the neared the door.

"Gen. Mustang wanted to meet with you," she answered. Riza knocked and let herself in, and she and the Major returned the salutes from the other soldiers. She then led Greene into Mustang's office and closed the door, ushering the man to have a seat.

"Ah, Major, Greene," Roy said as he returned Greene's salute. "Please, make yourself at home."

"Forgive me sir, but why am I here?" he asked, still standing.

"Captain, could you please bring him up to speed." The men listened as she explained to Greene that MacLendon had heard the argument between him, Dieruff and Grumman, and that the Corporal, along with herself and her soon-to-be-husband agreed that something needed to be done about Grumman's abuse of power.

"Granted, he's not abusing his power to the most extreme capacity, but this undue bullying of Captain Braeda and his fiancé is ridiculous and very unbecoming of the Führer of Amestris." Riza looked in Roy's direction. "It's insane to think we're coming together to defend this nation once again from the improper intentions of a corrupt leader, but we're asking you to join us in helping to build a case against him, so that hopefully he can be tried and found guilty of abuse of station and be forced out of power."

"And I want you to know that this is not because I want to take over before my time. It is because the man is making one of our own miserable. What if it were you in Braeda's place, or MacLendon or even the gossipy Private down in personnel? We can't allow him to stay in power at this point."

Riza watched as the man's face turned from scowling to worried. Finally he sat down, and after a moment he began to speak. "I should have said something to him sooner. When he came up with that plan to steal that evidence from the brothel, I should've told him I couldn't do it."

Riza rose and set about pouring hot water from a carafe into two plain white tea cups, readying steepers for hot, black tea. "It appears that Dieruff would have stepped in anyway. That kid will do anything for a promotion."

"And that's another thing that worries me," Greene said. "If he's willing to kill for the Führer… _Anyone_ could wind up on the receiving end of that punk's barrel."

Riza sat a teacup down in front of Roy, and then prepared one for Greene. "Precisely why we need your help to build a case against him."

"And precisely why you'll need to be sure not to mention it to anyone unless you're in this office," Roy said as he took a sip. "Your silence on this matter is crucial. You understand that if word gets back to Dieruff or Grumman that you could be treated just as badly as Capt. Braeda, or maybe worse."

Greene swallowed and then nodded. "Of course, sir. I will take it to the grave."

"Don't even hint at it. We don't want anyone knowing what we are doing until it's time. In the meantime, just continue to observe his every move. And as I've already told Hawkeye, any plans he makes regarding trips, events, even dates, I want it written down in an itinerary and filed with public relations. We have to make up for the loss of the evidence you and Dieruff destroyed."

Greene looked up. "We didn't destroy it, General."

The two of them looked with surprised faces at the Major. "You didn't?"

"No, sir. His Excellency has it all stored in a vault at the mansion, I believe the one in his bedroom if I'm not mistaken."

Roy leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "That's very interesting."

Greene took a drink of his tea and commented, "I take it this is helpful news?"

"Indeed it is, Major." He smirked at Riza. "I think that's all for now, Captain. You and I will reconvene at 1600 to discuss further action."

"Yes, sir. Anything we should relay to MacLendon?"

Roy appeared deep in thought for a moment, then replied, "No. Just tell her to continue to keep her ears open as she always has." He watched as they exited the room, then pondered to himself how in the hell he could swing breaking into the Führer's private bedroom and getting the audio reels, transcripts and photos back. On the other hand though, just having Greene and MacLendon in their pocket was an asset in itself…

"I think the scales may be tipping a bit in our favor, Madame…"

* * *

Chris 5, Grumman 2

* * *

Sleep didn't find Christmas right away, and because it didn't find her, it didn't find Braeda either. Usually the heavyset woman was asleep in five minutes flat. Not tonight though.

"You're keepin' me awake, sweetheart," came the muffled complaint of her partner.

"Sorry."

She didn't sound sorry though, at least not to Braeda. She sounded worried and disappointed and sad. "Hey…" he said softly as the arm loosely wrapped around her squeezed her closer to him. "You're not worrying about leaving me behind for a few days are you?" Her silence said it all. "Don't let it trouble you, Chris. This is the beginning of the end and we'll be able to go home soon."

Her soft hand covered his and her painted nails gently drew nonsense patterns against his skin. "It'll be the first time we haven't slept together in a long time. I've gotten very used to you laying behind me."

He sighed into her hair. "It's gonna be tough trying to pretend a pillow is you. It's not going to be easy for me either, but we'll manage and then we'll finally go home."

They were quiet for a long while after that, and then Chris said, "This feels like home to me now."

Braeda chuckled low in the dark of their temporary bedroom and kissed her cheek. "A woman like you doesn't belong in the desert. You'll dry up and die faster that way, and I intend to keep you for as long as I can. We're going back to our girls and our restaurant, to the hookers along Plumeria Parkway and the pushers on 12th Avenue; to that shithole diner at the corner of 15th and Platz Street and our cozy little apartment in the Clover Creek complex. That dirty city air and the street lights and the noise will all be waiting to welcome us home, and then we can finally get married," he whispered. "And I can become Mr. Madame."

She cackled at that and turned in his arms to face him. "I love you, honey. You always know just how to cheer me up."

"Remember, it's just a little while longer," Braeda replied as he kissed her lips. "It'll all be over soon. And you'll have a good time at Havoc's place."

"I'd have a better time if you were there," she said as her hands began to wander his overweight body.

"Ahh yes, but someone has to stay behind and play the dejected lover." His breath caught as her fingers found their way into his shorts. "Although right now, I have to say I'm not feeling very dejected."

"I could stop," Chris said, her fingertips lifting away from him.

"And we could both be miserable for the next few days." Now Braeda's hands were in motion, sliding in different directions all the while pulling her flush with his chest.

"I guess that wouldn't be very nice, would it?" she husked as her fiancé nibbled at her neck. After that, there wasn't much talking, and that was just fine. The sound of panting breath and the bed frame squeaking filled the room, and at the grand finale a single yelp of pleasure came from the Madame's throat. Afterward, sleep finally claimed them and the rest of the night was soft and still.

The next morning began as usual, with coffee and toast with jam and butter. Braeda gave her a tight squeeze, a long, lingering kiss, and told her to be safe, call when she could, and that he would see her again very soon. He left at his usual time, and then Chris locked up and carried her large suitcase down to the train station.

She wasn't on the train long. In fact she got off at the next station, not even 50 miles away. There were no military passengers that she could see, and thankfully no one paid much attention to her at either stop. When she stepped off onto the platform in Zamen, she smiled. "My favorite blond! How are ya, Havoc?"

The man wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a hug. "I think a better question is how're you, honey?"

She sighed against him, then pulled back. "I've had better mornings, for sure. But," she smirked, "I haven't had many nights as good as last night."

Jean laughed as he picked up her suitcase. "Your boy toy wore you out then, huh?" He offered her his arm and led them to his truck.

"You could say that. I just hope our little separate vacation doesn't have to last very long." She let Havoc help her into the pickup's cab and held her dress close to her knees so it wouldn't get caught in the door. He sat her stuff in the back and climbed in the driver's seat. "I appreciate you letting me stay with you and Sciezka and Jackie for a little while."

"No need to thank us, Madame. You're like family and you're welcome to stay with us anytime for any reason." The truck rumbled to life and Chris gave a look of surprise to the hood, wondering about the sound of the engine. Jean smirked and said smoothly, "Got a rebuilt engine in exchange to wipe out some guy's tab at the store. This baby goes over seventy miles an hour." He revved it a little and then put it in gear. "We'll be home before ya know it."

Chris lit a cigarette and said, "Let's get going! I wanna see that baby!" And with that, they were on their way to Fulda, Madame Christmas Mustang effectively disappearing into thin air.

* * *

"Alright, Miss Riza… You ready to look in the mirror?" India asked, standing up and moving away from the stool the blonde Captain was standing on in three inch heels.

She took a deep breath and took Vanessa and Jerrica's hands in order to step down safely, and then she walked to stand in front of a tri fold mirror in the Madame's room at the brothel. Her breath stilled in her chest and she just looked for a moment. The dress she'd chosen was very simple: a plain satin a-line dress with an empire waist (to make her look taller, not because she was pregnant or anything…) with a simple Amestrian Blue satin ribbon at the high waistline, and a matching satin half sleeve bolero jacket with a high neck that would cover her tattoo. The dress had no train, and she'd decided on a very simple veil, so for all intents and purposes, this would be how she'd look on her wedding day… "It's beautiful, India…" Riza breathed, clearly shocked at the simple elegance the woman had managed to achieve with parts of different styles.

"And our dresses will be similar, only we'll be wearin' solid blue dresses and sashes on our arms." Vanessa added a clip into her hair that held the veil, further completing the illusion of the final product. "You've got your something blue in your dress, you got somethin' old, new and borrowed?"

She thought for a moment. "I have my mother's pearl earrings. That could be the something old. I don't know about the other two…"

India pulled the silk flowers from the vase on the table and put them in her hands. "Don't you worry about a thing, honey. We'll take care of it all. Now, let me see how ya gonna walk down th' aisle." They watched as she moved around the room slowly, India watching with her seamstress eyes and making sure the hem wasn't too long or too short for her to walk safely.

"You're gonna make poor Roy faint," Jerrica giggled.

She smiled, but in the back of her mind, she wondered if she would… Riza had told him she had a surprise for him but it would have to wait until she got back from this fitting.

She was a week late, and she had a good idea why that was.

"This is exactly what I wanted, India. You're truly gifted with fabric." Riza hoped she wasn't giving anything away in her voice or expression, and if she was, she hoped the girls weren't reading too much into it.

"Is it comfortable? Does it feel too tight anywhere? Why dontcha sit down in it and let me know how that feels."

The stool she'd been standing on was now offered for her to sit upon, and when she sat down, the seams didn't burst or otherwise bind her up, and Riza smiled. "Really, India… You've done a wonderful job."

"Well then, let's get it on the sewing machine and get this hem tacked down." Carefully, Riza allowed the girls to extract her from the satin gown and jacket and she quickly redressed while they carried it all to India's room. She heard the squeak of the foot pedal bringing her machine to life and the woman's inner city accent guiding the others to hold the dress a certain way so the alterations could be finished.

Once she was back in her civvies, Riza walked down the hall and watched the woman work. She was meticulous, slow and precise, and when she was finished, she carefully trimmed the excess thread away and hung the wedding dress on a hanger hung high on the wall so that it didn't touch the floor. After that, she hung the jacket over it, and then draped a fresh bed sheet over it to keep it clean and dust free.

"Don't let Roy play with your tits too much," she said seriously, causing the Captain to blush. "That's the only place that you're not allowed to get any bigger or smaller, and if he touches them too much, they'll get bigger."

"I'll try to keep him off them," she said with a nervous laugh.

"That oughtta be easy enough! He's still a leg man, isn't he?" Vanessa crowed as they all went back downstairs. The bar had been temporarily shut down until the renovations to The Christmas Inn could be completed, so they walked to the dining room in the old apothecary and sat down at one of the new tables that had been received last weekend.

"Who cares what he likes!" Jerrica grinned. "Have you thought about what you want to do for your bachelorette party?"

Riza's eyes widened and she said, "Really, I must insist that you _do not_ throw me one. I'm going to be a nervous wreck as it is and something like that would only make it worse."

"Oh come on!" Vanessa lit a cigarette and said matter-of-factly, "You gotta have one so you can get your lingerie!"

"And we're sort of professionals in that department, Miss Riza," Jerrica grinned.

Riza's face was beet red, and she hesitated a moment, then told them, "I lost a bet with Roy, and the agreement was if I lost I had to wear whatever he picked out on our wedding night."

They all burst out laughing and then said in unison, "A white lace negligee with matching thigh highs and crotchless panties!"

She nearly spit wine over all of them. "How'd you know?"

"That's been his fantasy for years!" Vanessa squealed. "I bet he's even got a particular style and everything in mind!"

"What kind of bet did you have going with him anyway?" asked Jerrica. There was more uproarious laughter when they learned of the abstinence wager, and they all gave her kudos for resisting Roy's charms for as long as she could. Thankfully, the subject of conversation changed to more benign wedding talk, mostly about honeymoon destinations and plans for when they returned, and then Riza finally had to excuse herself to go pick up Roy and Hayate from the office.

"I can't thank you enough for everything you've helped me do in such a short time," she said as she awkwardly gave the three of them friendly hugs.

"Hey, you're practically family, Miss Riza," Jerrica said sweetly. "We take care of our own, no matter what."

"We've got all but about twelve of the RSVP cards back, one of them is with the Madame and we all know they'll be here," Vanessa said. "Only thing to do now is wait for the rest of them to roll in, and in two weeks we'll get the food ordered. The flowers are already taken care of, so the next thing we'll be getting ready for is the rehearsal dinner."

"And do you know if those boys of yours are actually working on the seating arrangements yet?

Riza thanked them all once again, then left to retrieve the General and her dog. When they got home, she went in the kitchen and began preparing dinner: a simple soup with turkey club sandwiches. It didn't take long to make, and so she was able to put off telling him her suspicions until after they ate. They stood at the sink washing dishes together, and that's when Roy brought it up.

"You mentioned a surprise earlier… Are you going to tell me what it is?"

She stopped wiping at the plate she held in the soapy water, took a breath and turned toward him. "I'm a week late." He furrowed his brow for a moment, then understanding dawned on his face. Then he started laughing. She smacked him hard on the arm and then turned to storm away from him.

Roy reached out and grabbed her gently before she could get too far, and he said, "Riza, when you come off the pills, your first cycle isn't normal because your body hasn't adjusted to the lack of extra hormones yet. It's common for a woman to be late the first cycle after discontinuing them." He pulled her into a hug and murmured into her hair, "You know if you're really pregnant I'd be overjoyed… And there's the possibility that you _could_ be pregnant right now, I'm just saying you should probably check with your doctor before you start picking out baby clothes."

"I don't like it when you make me feel stupid," she grumbled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. Go see your doctor if you haven't started by the end of the week. And if you are pregnant, I'll forfeit my wager winnings. You can wear whatever you want under your dress."

Riza sighed and nodded, and she let him hold her close for a moment before kissing him and returning to the sink. "If I am pregnant I want to keep it hush-hush until after this thing with Grumman is over."

"You've got to tell my aunt at least!" he cried. "She's been waiting for news of my offspring for years!"

"It can be a surprise, and we'll tell her at the wedding." She had a soft smile on her face as she pulled up a few pieces of flatware and began to wash them. "After all she and Braeda have gone through lately, she'll be ready for a happy gift like that."

Roy wandered over to her and put his hands on her hips, nipping at the back of her ear. "Y'know… we could go try to make a baby right now, just to make double sure you get pregnant sooner rather than later." He felt her shiver as his lips ghosted over the sweet spot on the back of her neck. "She did tell me the recipe that first night we were together." He gripped her loosely as he ground through clothing to let her know he was definitely ready and willing to make love to her.

Through sheer determination, Riza washed the last dish and hurriedly rinsed it, then pulled the plug on the sink's drain and spun around to kiss her lover on the mouth. They didn't even make it to the bedroom. They tripped over one of Hayate's toys in the hallway and instead of getting back to their feet, Riza got to her knees and presented herself to Roy, and he followed the Madame's instructions to the letter.

It was a good thing she decided on the empire waist dress… Who knew when she would start showing.

* * *

On the evening of June 1st, there was a knock at Braeda's door. He smirked and mentally readied himself to play his part. He had a glass of scotch (though he was drinking a beer) and he dipped his fingers in it and spread it on his neck to give him the aroma of a sad drunk. "Hang on, I'm comin'!" he bellowed, giving his voice an intoxicated lilt. Pinching his cheeks and nose to give him a red appearance, he walked to the door and flung it open.

And there stood a Sergeant holding a large black umbrella over the Führer's head, likely to hide his appearance, though Braeda was sure his security detail had the entire block surrounded. "What in the hell are you doing here?" he growled as Grumman gave him a cheerful smile.

"Aren't you going to at least invite the Führer of Amestris into your home, Captain?" he asked smugly.

"I'm afraid if you've come looking for Chris, she's not here." He took a drink of the scotch and fought not to grimace at the taste. While the liquor went down harsh, the look on Grumman's face was well worth it. "She said she loved me, but not enough to stay out here on the edge of the desert, so she packed up and went back to Central. Told me that if I got to come home I'd always be welcome, but she just couldn't leave her bar and her girls for too long."

Grumman stared back in disbelief. "Does this mean-"

"She's not my fiancé anymore. You've won. Now please leave me alone." And with that Braeda closed the door. He stood there, listening for the man's reaction. After a moment, he heard a second's worth of chuckling, and that was all. He sat in the chair and didn't even breathe. As soon as he heard the engine come to life and then quiet as it moved down the street, he felt relief wash over him. Grinning to himself, he walked to the phone and dialed up Havoc's house.

" _Hello?"_

"Hey Sciezka, how's everything going tonight?" he asked.

" _Oh, hi Braeda! Everything's fine, we're getting ready to listen to the radio for a little bit. Do you want to talk to the Madame?"_ She sounded winded, as if she'd been rushing around.

"If you don't mind, yes please."

" _Hang on just a second,"_ she said and then he could hear her cover the mouthpiece and called out for the woman to come to the phone. There was laughter in both Sciezka's bright tone and the darker, gravelly tone of his lady, and then he heard her voice directly.

" _Hey honey, what's going on?"_

"Grumman just left." He heard a quiet gasp and then she launched into fifty questions. "Hold on a second, I'll tell you everything." He told her all about the much too short encounter, and how Grumman appeared to have bought the story hook line and sinker. "And then I heard the car start up and drive off."

" _I guess he'll be on his way back to Central as soon as his work is done in Youswell then."_

"And with any luck Roy's got all the evidence we need against him lined up and ready to get him out of office." He gave a sigh of relief. "Not much longer, sweetheart. It's almost over."

He heard her hum in agreement. _"I think I'm gonna stay right here until we know for sure what the hell he's going to do. When he's exiled out of the country I'll come home. I just don't ever want to see or talk to him ever again."_

"We'll see what happens. In the meantime, enjoy yourself as much as you can. When we get home it's back to work, and who knows when you'll be able to take another vacation like this." He twiddled with the cord a little before admitting, "I miss you like crazy."

" _I know, honey. The feeling is mutual I promise."_ He heard Havoc shouting in the background, saying he was cutting in on their Madame time and to cut it out already. They both laughed and Chris said, _"I guess I better get going. Duckie Dingus is about to come on and Sciezka made popcorn balls for us."_

"Alright, you guys have a good time. I think I'll go on and get a bath and go to bed." Actually, he'd heard a strange sound that had come from upstairs and he wanted to check it out.

" _I love you,"_ she said quietly.

"I love you too, I'll call you tomorrow."

They ended their conversation and Braeda drew his pistol. He picked up the receiver and dialed the bar, knowing that the audio surveillance tapes would be rolling. He backed away from the table near the stairs and began talking.

"Hey, it's me." He paused, as if he were speaking to someone on the phone. "Yeah I just saw Grumman." Pause. "I dunno, he's got some skinny kid Sergeant with him. I didn't catch his name." Pause. "Nah, I'm not worried about him. Grumman's lackeys have never been top notch to start with. We can probably take them both out, no sweat." He watched as military issued combat boots came into view, creeping slowly and silently down his staircase. "Yeah, we can make it look like the kid assassinated him, and then couldn't live with the guilt so he shot himself." _'Just a little further,'_ Braeda thought to himself as he was waiting for a clear shot to the intruder's knee cap. Two more steps should be enough… one more step…

_**BLAM!** _

There was a high pitched shout and the assailant tumbled down the steps. Before he had a chance to escape, Braeda was on him, the barrel of his pistol jammed under the man's chin and he jerked him buy the collar to face him. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"You fuckin' shot me! You really shot me!" It was the skinny Sergeant that had been with Grumman, the one holding the umbrella.

"No I didn't, dumbass!" Braeda yelled. "Do you see any blood?"

"B-but the gun went off-"

"I missed on purpose! But I promise, if you don't start talking I'm going to blow your brains out the back of your head, do you understand me!" he growled, his face only centimeters from the Sergeant's. "First off, what's your name!"

"V-V-Vernon Dieruff!"

"Why is a Sergeant Grumman's top aide now? Where's Hawkeye or Greene!" The boy suddenly got tight lipped and Braeda jammed the gun a little harder into Dieruff's throat. "I swear I'll pull this trigger, boy! Start talking!"

"Alright!" he cried. Braeda pulled the gun back, but kept it trained on Dieruff's forehead. The young man was gasping and he tried to catch his breath. "Grumman doesn't trust them, especially not Hawkeye. Greene was still in good graces until…"

"Until what?"

Dieruff swallowed. "Until I offered… t-t-to kill you." Braeda only raised an eyebrow at him, and the Sergeant continued, "I told Grumman if he wanted you out of the picture that badly I'd kill you and make it look like a robbery or something. And in return he'd give me a promotion."

Braeda grinned. "So that's how you jumped rank so quickly. He promoted you for taking the records from the bar."

"Y-yes, sir."

Braeda rose from his crouched position, taking Dieruff's gun and putting it in his own holster. He kept the young man in his sights as he got to his feet.

The boy shook and trembled all over as he began to cry. "Please don't kill me."

Braeda laughed. "Oh, _I_ won't kill you. Grumman on the other hand might."

"Why?" he asked.

The Captain nodded toward the phone off the hook on the console table. "I've been taping our conversation, Sergeant. When Grumman finds out how easily you shared his secrets, he'll have you murdered by someone more ambitious than you."

Dieruff resigned himself to sobbing at the foot of the steps. Braeda walked into the kitchen and grabbed two beers and brought one back to his prisoner. He took the drink and looked up at his superior. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because I still need you. And right now, it looks like you need me." He popped the can open and took a few swallows. "I'll let you stay here and give periodic reports to Grumman, since I know you've been ordered to watch me. You can call him from that very phone if you like. In exchange, when we bring Grumman to trial for abuse of power, you stand as a key witness and I'll make sure you don't see any time in the stocks."

Dieruff took a swig of his beer. "But I told him I'd lie under oath for him, and he said he'd deny anything if I were ever caught."

"But your stories and Greene's will coincide, and we've already got lots of other evidence on him since losing that stuff you took from the bar." He shook his head. "You don't realize at all what you've gotten yourself into, do you?"

"Why not just take him out now? Why are you waiting?"

"Because two very good friends of mine are going to be married in a few weeks and if we throw them into preparing for a coronation in the middle of a wedding it will be pure chaos. We're going to let Grumman proceed as if nothing's wrong for now, but as soon as that wedding's over, the gloves are off." He waggled his gun at the Sergeant. "So, here's the deal. I'll let you live and you help me get Grumman's corrupt ass out of office, or you can go back to Grumman and tell him I recorded your confession on the country's best wire tap system and see how long you live after that."

"And just how do you think you're going to keep an eye on me when you're at your post?" Dieruff asked.

"I have a young lady who owes Chris for babysitting, I'm sure she won't mind keeping an eye on a very tied up soldier. And don't think you can get out doing alchemy, I'm already prepared for that." He grabbed a wad of rope from a cabinet in the kitchen. "It's a prototype made by Edward Elric, it's covered in circles that will tighten the ropes if you try to transmute out of them." He grinned. "Looks like you get to be the guinea pig."

Dieruff sagged against the wall. "Alright. You got a deal."

* * *

Chris 6, Grumman 2


	12. At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very thankful that my dear beta isn't an American so that I can explain some things to my non-American readers. She mentioned she didn't understand what 'checks and balances' meant. That is the American form of government. It's what we call the separation of power so that no one has total control over the country. Basically, our legislators, the supreme court, and our President must work together to pass or nullify laws, declare war, or make amendments to our Constitution. I assume it's similar in most democratic nations (like Britain with its Parliament, House of Commons, and Prime Minister). Just wanted to clarify that! Oh, and Amestris needed some radio shows, so you may remember Duckie Dingus from other chapters/fics I've written, which is a comedy show. I've also added The Shaman of Xerxes as a drama/adventure type of show.

_**Amestris' Next in Line Speaks on Marriage, Plans for the Future** _

Harold Nilmer reporting

If you haven't heard about the upcoming marriage of General Roy Mustang and up until recently his long time subordinate Captain Riza Hawkeye, you must have been living under a rock. Their engagement photo is plastered everywhere, as well as some candid shots from the press and others. While the General is no doubt a busy man overseeing the reconstruction of Ishval from afar these days, he and his lovely fiancé, who is now one of Führer Grumman's personal aides, made time to sit down and talk about their big day.

General Mustang and Captain Hawkeye arrive together in the small office that's been set up for the interview. They do not hold hands or have much physical contact, short of the General's hand gently landing on his lady's back and guiding her to sit down. I ask about this first.

"This is our work place," Mustang answers. "We conduct ourselves in a very professional way. During working hours, I am a superior and she is a subordinate. I treat her as I would any other soldier under my command, and if our ranks were reversed, I expect she would do the same." When asked how they conduct themselves outside the work place, the General smiles. "Outside of work we are as normal as any other couple about to be married. The only difference is that we've chosen to live together before our wedding, which I understand isn't very popular with some of the older citizens of the country."

I ask why they made the decision to share Hawkeye's small apartment, to which the lovely blonde says, "It was a matter of cutting back on wasteful spending. When we began spending more and more time together, either at my home or his, it was a waste of money to keep two households when we only needed one." The General agrees with her and goes on to say that Capt. Hawkeye applies her efficiency and logic to every aspect of her world, and says, "We feel we need to do our part in saving costs after all the generosity we're being subjected to in terms of the wedding."

Not many details have been released about the wedding itself, short of the date, time, and location. Amestrians everywhere are speculating as to the designer of the secret wedding gown, what type of food will be served at the reception, what song the bride and groom will have their first dance to, even whether or not the Captain's faithful dog will be a part of the wedding party.

Hawkeye smiles and says Hayate, her black and white border collie mix, will be in attendance but will not be among the groomsmen. "I might let our flower girl walk him down the aisle, but he won't be at the altar. I think that's probably a sacrilegious thing to do in a chapel."

Mustang goes on to say that their big day will certainly be unique and special to them, even if some of the things they have planned seem a little quirky. "I think it's common knowledge that my best friend was murdered years ago in connection to discovering the plot behind what is now known as The Promised Day in 1915. I was best man at his wedding and he always said he would be best man at mine. We've worked out something so that he can be there with us on our big day." Brigadier General Maes Hughes was assassinated in a phone booth outside Central command in the fall of 1914.

As for revealing anything else about any further details on the wedding, the two of them insisted that _The Central Times_ and its readers would have to wait until the pictures were printed in the special edition issue. "I will say that we will be honeymooning somewhere where there's lots of sunshine and a view of the ocean," Mustang grins. "Neither of us has ever seen the ocean and it'll be the perfect opportunity." The look they share; mischievous smiles and glittering eyes, is anything but professional. But all too quickly the mirth is gone and the military air is back in place.

I ask if either of them fear the General's position of being next in line for the seat of power and they each shake their heads. "He's been on both sides of war, both as taking orders and giving them," Hawkeye says. "Those experiences have shaped him into a leader that truly understands the value of life. I have no reason to think that he won't do everything in his power to protect all of the lives of this country."

"I've been striving toward this goal for a very long time," says Mustang. "I began this dream out of love for Amestris and everyone in it. I want what's best for my country and its people, and I'll do everything I possibly can to fulfill that promise."

When asked about his opinion of Grumman's work, Mustang smiles and says, "I love the direction he's taking the nation in. He's making a great path for this country to follow, and I'm happy that he chose me to continue forging that path when he's had enough." He's still adamant that he wants to be the last Führer; he plans on returning power to the senate and establishing a checks and balances system of government to prevent events such as Ishval and what has come to be known as the Promised Day from ever happening again. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and in returning power to the senate, we can eliminate those things from our future."

The Hawkeye-Mustang wedding is scheduled for June 22nd at 4:30 pm at St. Artemisia Chapel on Berry Blvd. Thousands are expected to line the streets in hopes of catching a glimpse of foreign dignitaries and the bride and groom themselves. Security will be of the utmost priority with police and military forces being outfitted in riot gear. The wedding and reception are by invitation only.

* * *

"Is that a new article on the General's wedding?" Winry asked as she wrangled her youngest child into a high chair.

"Yep. Mustang actually took time out of his 'busy day' and gave an interview with Capt. Hawkeye." He sat the paper down as Sara asked for help getting into her seat. "I sure hope she's positive she wants to wake up next to General Jackass for the rest of her life."

"I'd say if they're already living together, then she couldn't be happier with her decision." She dished out scrambled eggs to everyone, yelling at James to take the frog back outside and wash his hands before sitting down to eat. Once everyone was situated, she picked up the paper and read the article for herself. "I'm so happy for them. They both deserve some happiness together."

"I hate that there's going to be so many people there," he grumbled. "But I refuse to let Al show up with the Xingese party and get all the attention. I'm gonna show up with my beautiful wife-"

"Who's as big as a house…" she mumbled.

"Who's as big as a 7 month pregnant woman should be, show off my beautiful children and let the world know that giving up my alchemy hasn't hindered me in any way at all." Ed gave his wife a smile. "I love you no matter how big you are, and I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks about you. Besides," he said as his smile turned wicked, "I'm pretty sure you didn't mind getting in your condition."

She sighed as he waggled his eyebrows comically. "I can't argue with that. But no more after this one!" He agreed as David flung his eggs from his high chair into his mother's coffee. Winry swatted his hand and the toddler began to cry, which set Sara off to wailing which led to James yelling about all the noise.

"And in two months we'll be able to add a squalling infant to this mess," Ed groaned. He excused James to go back outside to play and took Sara with him out to his study. "I can't wait for this to happen to Mustang!" he called over his shoulder.

* * *

"Did you find anything out?" Vato Falman husked against Vanessa's neck as two sets of hands pulled and tugged at bothersome clothing.

"Said he was gonna- ohhh! Gonna do some recon!"

"On Braeda?" Just a few more buttons…

"Yeah, gonna watch him for a few days. Grumman thinks there's something up." Suddenly she laughed. "I think there's something up too," she grinned as she wrapped her hands around a very insistent part of Falman's body.

"So astute," the older man groaned as he thrust himself in her hand.

"What did you find out?" she panted as he finally figured out how to undo her bra.

"Less talking," he grunted, and then she shut him down by simply stepping away from him. His eyes looked sad and confused, and Vanessa crossed her arms over her bare chest.

"Business first, Vato."

Falman sighed and sat down on the bed. "Alright. Sgt. Vernon Dieruff, age 22, born in Gegota to Stan and Helen Dieruff, the middle child of four siblings. Was constantly in trouble with the local authorities for petty theft. Discovered alchemy at nine, was given numerous warnings about using his alchemy to break into homes and was finally arrested and served six months in jail for breaking into an elderly woman's home and pawning her jewelry. Only reason they caught him was the pawn broker was the woman's son and had given the jewelry to her as a Midwinter gift. Was arrested a second time for breaking into a bank and sentenced to three years in jail. He'd returned all the money and in a plea bargain got less jail time if he promised to enlist in the army. He did well on exams and basic training and was moving up the ranks as expected until Grumman hand picked him because of his alchemy ability and his willingness to keep his mouth shut."

Vanessa uncrossed her arms, finished undressing, and then straddled his lap. "There's one thing you don't know."

"What's that?" he asked as he rocked himself against her, desperate to sheathe himself inside her.

"Braeda's got him tied up at the apartment in Youswell."

Falman stilled and looked into her face with shocked eyes. "Really?"

"Really!" She grinned as he broke into a wide happy smile.

"That brilliant bastard!" he chuckled in relief. And then his attention was pulled away once more by soft skin and a light jasmine scent.

"Less talking," she murmured before kissing him hard and finding a way to celebrate this newest turn of events.

* * *

Riza entered the Führer's mansion, as was normal of any of Grumman's aides. However, the fact that he was out of town and she was coming unannounced was a little strange. But George, humble servant and butler, let her in and welcomed her anyway.

"I'm sorry to barge in so unexpectedly," she said with a friendly smile, "but I'm looking for something of my grandmother's that I can wear at the wedding. You know the old adage, 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue'?"

"Of course, Miss Riza," he replied. "I assume you'll be going to your Grandfather's private rooms?"

"Actually I called and asked him if it would be alright to go through the valuables in the safe. He'd given my grandmother a beautiful strand of pearls as a gift on their first wedding anniversary, and I'd like to wear that with my mother's pearl earrings." They walked briskly up the grand staircase and down the hall toward the Führer's suites.

"What a lovely memorial to the women of your heritage, miss. I'll be happy to assist you in finding what you're looking for."

"Oh, thank you, George," Riza smiled. "But really, I know right where I'm going, I won't be but just a moment! Please don't trouble yourself!" The bald man stopped in his tracks and gave her a brief nod of acknowledgement, then turned and went back downstairs.

Riza opened the door to Grumman's large bedroom/private office and took the painting of a landscape her great grandfather had painted off the wall, revealing a medium sized wall safe. She turned the cold knob to the numbers 17, 23, 25, 49, 64; ages that Grumman considered milestones (the loss of his virginity, his marriage, the birth of his daughter, the loss of his wife, becoming Führer). The door opened with a creak and Riza peered inside.

A black cashier's box, a larger metal container about the size of a shoe box, some wrapped stacks of cash and a large manila envelope looked back at her. First, she opened the large metal box. Inside were all the audio reels that carried his name, the ones he'd ordered to be stolen from the Christmas Inn. In the smaller box were jewelry and other trinkets that had belonged to her grandmother, and she reached inside and plucked the pearl necklace from the pile and slid it into her pocket. Lastly she examined the envelope, which had the transcripts and the photographs from the boxes of surveillance taken from Chris's bar. This she took as well, and then she slipped her jacket off to slide the envelope into the back of her pants.

Just as she turned to grab her jacket and pull it over the envelope, Valerie, Grumman's favorite housekeeper and former informant for the Madame, walked in with Grumman's personal mail to lay on his desk. The two women stared each other down, and then finally Valerie spoke.

"There's a hatbox in the top of the closet. You can use that to put the reels in." She walked to the other side of the room, pulled down a pink and white striped round box and sat it on the bed. "Put the reels under the tissue paper and set the hat on top of it all."

"Madame said you were a traitor," Riza said as she first sat the envelope in the bottom and then piled the reels on top of that in the bottom of the box.

"She's right. I am a traitor."

"Then why help now?"

Valerie smiled. "Because before she was my boss, she was a good friend of mine. I lost sight of that, and I only hope I can apologize by helping out in the end." She sat the out-of-fashion hat on top of the little black wheels of tape and tied the box up neatly. "Did you find the necklace you were looking for?"

"Yes, thank you." She furrowed her brow. "And what are you going to tell Grumman?"

"That I helped you pull down a hat box from the top of the closet when you couldn't find any jewelry your grandmother might have owned. You saw the hat and said you had an outfit for your honeymoon that it would go well with and decided to take that instead."

Riza seemed to sigh in relief. "You're a good woman. Don't let my grandfather corrupt you." She gathered up the hat box, which now weighed much more than a hat box should, and carried it out to the car, telling George she was perfectly capable of handling a lightweight hat box and all but kicking him out of her way. She thanked both him and Valerie for their assistance.

That night when Vanessa went to feed Braeda's fish, she took the hatbox with her and stuffed it in their bedroom closet, right alongside the Madame's other hatboxes.

* * *

**Chris 9, Grumman 0**

* * *

"Da-da! Da-da! DA-DAAA!" Jackie cried as Havoc came home from work, bouncing on her bottom with her arms held high.

"Just a minute, sugar!" he replied. "Da-da's got his hands full!" Chris labored to get up off the floor and then came to help Havoc with the bags he'd brought in. "Hey now, you're my guest, I don't need any help."

"Just shut up and hand me a bag already," Chris grinned. "I'm happy to help!" She sat the grocery bag down on the kitchen table, and then Havoc reached into his back pocket and handed her a page of the newspaper. "Looks like the Chief finally broke down and gave an interview in person rather than through a PR rep."

Chris' eyes lit up and she immediately started reading as Jean fetched his daughter from the middle of a ring of toys. "I'm so glad he finally agreed to speak to the press. And he sounds so professional and grown up!" she squealed in her scotch and nicotine stained voice.

"Hard to believe that our Roy could be so polished, ain't it?"

Chris laughed at that. "Yeah, I never thought I'd see the day when he would really shine up. I'm so happy for him." Then she grinned. "I got some wonderful news today."

"What about?" he asked as he played a rousing game of peek-a-boo with his little girl.

"After Grumman left, his little thieving Sergeant broke into the upstairs window. Braeda said he used alchemy and made a ladder." She lit a cigarette and stood in the kitchen so as to keep from smoking in the baby's face. "Anyway, Braeda-boy called up the bar so they could get it on tape, because he saw the guy coming down the stairs. He pulled his gun and fired at him, and the twerp fell down the stairs thinking Braeda'd shot him!" She crowed with laughter. "Well now, Braeda's got him tied up in special alchemy ropes that the Fullmetal Alchemist made, and the woman I used to babysit for is babysitting the Sergeant!"

"What? That's crazy!" Jean grinned. "So what's the plan then? Are you staying here or what's going on?"

Flipping her ashes into the tray, she sat down and thought for a moment. "When are you guys leaving for Central?"

"Probably in a week to ten days. Why?"

"I think I'm going to go on back to Youswell, stay with Braeda until it's time for us to leave." She looked at Havoc with a little grin on her face. "We came to Youswell together, we'll leave there together."

"You think that's a good idea with Grumman still in town?"

"His little lackey said he'll be leaving on the first train tomorrow morning." She handed Havoc the groceries as he put them away. "And I just miss Braeda."

Jean grinned back. "I understand completely. I'll drive you up to the train station tomorrow." He handed Jackie back to the Madame and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm gonna start supper, Sciezka will be home soon."

"I'm gonna call home and tell Braeda the plan," she replied. "You wanna talk to Uncle Braeda, Jackie?" The little girl babbled back nonsense and then gave the older woman a slobbery raspberry. "I'll take that as a yes!"

When Braeda answered, he sounded tired. _"Hello?"_

"Hey, honey. How's it going?"

" _Our houseguest has been very well behaved. We've come to an understanding and he agrees that fleeing the country is probably the best thing he could do for himself. I was even able to take the ropes off."_ He sighed. _"Other than that, it's just a long waiting game."_

"Would it make you feel any better if I told you I was coming home tomorrow night?" She smiled when she heard his laughter.

" _Sweetheart, I think that's the best thing anyone's said to me in a long time. I can't wait for you to come home. You bringing Havoc and his gang back with ya?"_

Jackie gave Braeda a raspberry and jabbered a little before giggling and making her Auntie Chris laugh. "I don't think so, but we'll see. I think he's gonna ask her to marry him," she whispered.

" _If he does, good for him. He couldn't ask for a more patient woman than Sciezka."_

"Alright then, I don't want to run up the bill. I'll see you tomorrow sometime."

" _I love you,"_ he said. _"Be careful."_

"I love you too, and I'll be fine."

That night as they sat in the living room listening to Duckie Dingus and The Shaman of Xerxes, the phone rang. Sciezka picked up the line, and moments later she was squealing in delight. "Madame! Come here, it's great news!" The old woman got to her feet and moved as quickly as she could to the phone. "It's Riza, they got the blackmail out of Grumman's possession!" The Madame talked excitedly with her future daughter-in-law for a moment, the hung up the phone and immediately called Braeda and shared the news with him.

"When I get back, we're eloping."

" _What?"_ he said, sounding as if he nearly choked on something, probably a beer.

"I mean it, I'm done waiting. There's nothing that old man can do now, we've got him cornered."

" _The girls are_ not _gonna be happy…"_

"But I think they would understand. We can do a recreation of it at our reception. I want to be your wife, Braeda…"

" _Alright. I'll set something up as soon as possible. I'll even splurge to have a picture taken. I guess I'll have to splurge for your dress too."_

"Picture yes, dress no. I've got plenty of nice things I can wear. I love you and I'll see you tomorrow."

That night as she lay in bed, she was as giddy as a kid on Midwinter's Eve. The all clear had sounded through the phone lines tonight…

And she decided she'd see Grumman one last time after all: at Roy's wedding with her own wedding ring gleaming on her left hand.

* * *

On June 6th, three days after Grumman was confirmed as having left Youswell, Braeda and Chris stood in the chaplain's office at the tiny on base chapel at Camp Longbow. The chaplain was a tall and broad man, looking more like a warrior than a priest. He smiled at the two of them, had Braeda and Chris fill in some lines on a marriage certificate, and then he slipped a purple satin scarf around his neck, picked up a fat religious tome, and began the ceremony.

"Just one moment, sir," Chris said. She was dressed in a crisp, light pink colored cotton dress and was holding a small bouquet of silk roses and carnations in a slightly darker color. She reached over and picked up his phone and dialed her home away from home, Braeda behind her insisting that they would pay for the phone charges. Once Chris was sure Jerrica had picked up the line, she angled the receiver so that they could hear everything that was said. "Sorry about that, please continue."

The chaplain cleared his throat and began again, his deep baritone almost like a dreamy lullabye. He said flowery things about love and God, used words like 'holy' and 'precious' and 'sacred'… He asked Christmas to repeat the ancient vows: 'I promise to love you, cherish you, and honor you in every thought, every word and every action. I will share with you all of life's joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, until death parts us.'

Braeda barely registered that the chaplain was asking him to recite his vows, as he was calling him Heymans, but he repeated the same verses and squeezed his bride's trembling hand. There were more words, but neither really heard them. Braeda was struggling not to cry and the Madame was smiling wide at him in an effort to help him with his battle. Finally, the man said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife by the power granted unto me by the Amestrian Army and by God. You may kiss your bride, Captain."

And kiss her he did. He grabbed her in a dance pose and dipped her, then pressed his lips to hers and positively stole her breath as they heard the girls cheering over the phone. The chaplain cleared his throat and Braeda raised her back up, both of them red faced and smiling.

"You said you wanted a photograph, right Captain?" a woman said as she knocked on the door.

"Yes, we've got people who'll want to see this!" Chris cried. She grabbed Braeda's arm, and the two of them smiled wide for the camera, holding still for a few moments as the shutter worked its magic. Finally the woman announced they could move and said if they would come back tomorrow, the print would be ready. Braeda picked up the phone on the chaplain's desk and said, "Alright ladies, back to work!"

"Yes, Mr. Madame!" they all teased before he hung up.

He turned toward his bride and cupped her face. "I can't give you an extravagant honeymoon sweetheart, but I can take you to the moon and back in one night if you'll let me."

"You could take me to a cow field to count the cow patties and I wouldn't care, Braeda. Wherever you go, I'll be right beside you." She kissed him and then said, "Let's go home."

* * *

"Yes, sir," Dieruff said. "I've been watching for days and I haven't seen any sign of her. The Captain mostly goes to his post, comes home, drinks a lot of scotch and then goes to bed." He said this as he drank a beer and flipped through a girly magazine in the home of the very Captain he was supposed to be spying on. "He doesn't pick up the phone, he barely eats… I seriously doubt he and your dear woman are having any contact at all."

" _I know those two are up to something,"_ Grumman said, his tone irritated. _"No one's seen her in Central and my most reliable sources can't place her anywhere in the surrounding areas. And I certainly can't take time out to go find her, not with the Xingese entourage arriving a full week ahead of schedule."_

"Maybe she was kidnapped?" Dieruff offered. "Or maybe she committed suicide over the whole situation. You did kind of put her under an enormous amount of pressure, sir."

" _Please don't even suggest such a thing, Sergeant,"_ the Führer said through his teeth. _"I'm starting to really get worried."_

"If it's alright with you sir, I'll keep watching Braeda for a little while longer."

" _That's fine. Just be back in time for the wedding."_

"Absolutely, sir. Have a good night, sir." He hung up the phone and took the magazine and the beer and stretched out on the couch. Oh, he knew damn well what Braeda and Chris were doing down at Camp Longbow, and had known since the Madame had slapped the taste out of his mouth when she came home. And he knew tonight he was going to be sleeping with cotton balls in his ears like he had the night she came home. Damnation, he couldn't imagine two heavyset people making that much noise before, and it wasn't the smacking of fat against fat like he'd expected, it was the groaning and gasping and the bed frame squeaking like a bus with bad shocks.

They came in the door with a bottle of champagne and each of them smoking a cigar. Braeda yelled, "Hey kid! Catch!" and threw a cigar at him.

"Aren't I your prisoner?" he asked. "Why share a nice cigar like this with me?"

"Because if you hadn't turned your back on Grumman, I'd still be a bachelor. Consider it a thank you for making it possible to bring my wife home." Braeda blew a big puff of smoke, disregarding the order not to smoke in the housing unit.

His new wife pushed past him and pulled out three glasses from the cabinet. "Come on boys, let's have a toast!" She opened the backdoor and fired the cork toward the playground, letting the foamy bubbles spill out onto the parched ground. She sat her cigar in the ashtray outside before coming back in and then filled the glasses and raised hers high. "To true love, and its ability to conquer all!"

Tinking sounds filled the room and then Chris and Braeda hooked arms and drank as one while Dieruff took a sip to be polite but grimaced at the taste. The alcohol drained from their vessels, they unhooked arms and sat their glasses down. Chris was on Braeda in a heartbeat, her mouth open and eyes closed as she pressed her face to her husband's. Braeda gently pushed her away in favor of taking her hand, tossing his cigar into the sink and practically leaping up the steps. "You know where the cotton balls are, right Dieruff?" he called over his shoulder.

"Yes, sir! I intend to keep them in all night, so if you need me you'll have to come get me!" He heard the bedroom door slam and they began almost immediately after that. He sighed, taking his magazine, beer and cigar outside, where at least he could enjoy the sounds of the crickets before stuffing his ears full of cotton for the night.

* * *

When Riza woke up, she felt like death. She opened her eyes and rolled toward Roy, her forehead resting against his bare shoulder. "Do I feel warm to you?" she croaked.

His sleep mussed head turned toward her. "No, you feel fine. What's wrong?"

"I don't feel good." She snuggled up close to him and rested her arm around his ribs. "Feel like I wanna die."

Roy's mind was already working. "Do you feel dizzy or in pain?"

"I have a headache and feel like I want to throw up."

He turned over in the bed and stroked her face. "Did you ever start your period?"

The silence between them said it all. Finally she answered him, telling him that she hadn't, and that going to the doctor had slipped her mind with all of the wedding preparations coming together and the backing up of the evidence they'd gotten from Grumman's estate.

"Hang in there, I'll be right back." He got out of the bed, bare assed with the imprint of the sheets all over his body and walked into the kitchen. He returned with some saltine crackers, then went and made her a cup of ginger spiced tea. "Drink this and tell me how you feel in a few minutes, okay?" he said as he patted her back.

Sure enough, after consuming half a package of crackers and a whole cup of the ginger tea, she felt much better. "So this is morning sickness?" she asked quietly.

"I think so. I know when any of the girls would get it that this was the instant cure."

Riza looked up at him with shining eyes. "Roy… we made a baby." She gave him the most beautiful smile and he felt one of his own growing on his face.

"Yeah… We did, didn't we?" He slipped his hand down to cover her lower abdomen. "Our little one is in there, just under your skin." He felt a tear drop splash onto his fingers before her hand covered his.

"I love you," she whispered as tears of joy slid down her smiling face.

"I love you too, Riza." He patted her tummy, "And I love you, Baby." He took her into his arms and held her tight, both of them wrapping their minds around this newest surprise; their happiest one yet.


	13. Goin' to the Chapel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to see a picture of the church I based this part of the story on, visit: **desmond.imageshack.us/Himg692/scaled.php? server=692 &filename=church1.jpg&res=medium** and **desmond.imageshack.us/Himg834/scaled.php? server=834 &filename=church2p.jpg&res=medium**

"Alright, now string that wire up over there!" Fuery ordered from the floor up to a very brave Sergeant on a complex scaffolding system over twenty feet in the air. "Make sure you angle the microphones toward the altar!"

A radio announcer was going to be set up off to the side, in front of the empty choir stalls, and the wedding was going to be broadcast across the entire country on a fifteen minute delay. It was expected to be Radio One's biggest radio broadcast ever. When Roy approved the radio broadcast, his only stipulation was that Master Sergeant Kain Fuery be the man to set it up at the chapel. Fiery paid attention to such details as keeping cords out of sight as much as possible, while also making sure they wouldn't trip anyone and making sure that the equipment picked up the sounds of the wedding party and not the crowd.

While he directed the man on the scaffolds, Falman and Vanessa walked around with a seating chart deciding where to sit various members of the visiting nations, strategically staggering the entire guest list to avoid any conflicts in the pews. Alex Armstrong had a unit of MPs with him, personally assigning posts to the venue, while the chief of the military police handled the exterior posts. The commander of the black ops unit assigned snipers at various locations, both nearby and along the road leading up to the church. Only the finest soldiers were accepted into the black ops unit, which Jean Havoc would have been a part of if he'd been able to pass the written exam. As a gift and a show of allegiance to the Amestrian people, the Xingese Emperor offered half of his royal guard to lend their talents to the security of the event. In short, if anyone was going to try something, they were utterly insane. Besides being covered by the some of the most elite fighters in the world, the number of witnesses would certainly prove an assailant's guilt… if the mob didn't beat the person to death before authorities apprehended them in the first place…

"Can't believe the big day is less than two days away!" Havoc said as he and Roy walked in to get a look at how things were going. "I never imagined your wedding would be the event of the century."

Roy grinned. "Amazing isn't it? Riza and I finally get the chance to join our lives and everyone in this country wants to be a part of it, even foreigners who could care less about Amestris itself. Did you know the Cretans wanted to film it? Like make a movie out of it?"

"Seriously?" Jean asked. "That's pretty awesome!"

"I don't mind the photographers or the radio broadcast, but I said no to the filming. That's a little too over the top."

"No, the swan ice sculpture is too over the top. Filming woulda been cool." He looked around and waved at Falman. "You sure you're gonna be able to fill all these pews?"

"Easily. There's 821 guests, you know."

"Holy shit!" Havoc exclaimed, loud enough to echo in the sanctuary. Everyone looked toward them, Roy closing his eyes in irritation. "Sorry!" he whispered loudly, making the sign of the holy salutation over his chest. "I don't even think there's that many people in all of Fulda."

"Well, there's friends and family, coworkers and the top brass, the council of elders and the members of high court, important foreign dignitaries and heads of state, members of the press… There's more people who are here for etiquette reasons than because they actually belong here."

Jean nodded toward Falman and Vanessa. "What's the deal with those two? I've heard some rumors…"

Roy shrugged. "Two Vanessas of the same ilk. You ask them, I'm too busy."

"How'd that old man land such a hot broad, that's what I'd like to know…"

"Like you're on the prowl for a new woman," Roy smirked as they made their way toward Fuery and the scaffold to heaven. "The Madame thinks you're going to ask your little bookworm to marry you, you know."

"Actually…" Jean said in a hushed voice. "I wanted to ask you about that."

"About what?"

"How'd you ask her? Or how did you find out how she would like to be asked?"

Roy clapped him on the shoulder and started walking toward Fuery and the scaffolding. "I can't tell you the answer to that. All I can tell you is to be honest with yourself first, then be honest with her, and it will all come out just as it should. And contrary to popular custom, you don't need a ring when you first ask. It's what's between you that matters more than any material thing." Jean nodded, and the two of them went to check on Fuery's progress.

"We're just about ready to start testing the angle of the microphones, sir," he said with a smile. "Do you want to pretend to be Hawkeye, Havoc?"

"Well I am the only _natural_ blond in the room," he said loud enough for Vanessa to hear him, and he chuckled when she flipped him the bird. "Sure why not! My girls won't be up from their nap for another hour yet, so I might as well burn up the time somehow."

Roy and Havoc stood in front of the altar and Fuery stood in the priest's place. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today-"

"To marry two people who should've been married years ago!" Jean said in a falsetto voice.

"At least I didn't put the baby carriage in front of the honeymoon like _someone_ I know," Roy teased right back.

"Wait!" came a cry from the other direction. "We can't hear the General!"

"General, could you please talk for a minute while the engineers re-angle the microphones?" Fuery asked.

After about fifteen minutes and lots of jabs from all sides (those in the pews were asked to make noise to be sure the mics couldn't pick up the crowd while still picking up the wedding party), Fuery and the radio crew left, Vanessa and Falman went to neatly type up the seating arrangements, and Jean and Roy stayed for a little while watching the decorating crew string white tulle along the pews lining the aisle, and adding white and blue satin bows to the mix. While the flowers wouldn't be arriving until the day of the wedding, the pillars and candelabras were put in place and decorated. After a little while, Jean decided to go back to the hotel to his girlfriend and daughter, and Roy sat looking about the chapel sanctuary in excited solitude.

"Is it bad luck to sit beside you in the church?"

He turned and looked over his shoulder at his bride. "I think that's only on the wedding day," he replied as he motioned for her to sit down next to him. "You sure you still want to go through with this?"

Riza snuggled up into his arm. "Absolutely."

"Still feeling sick?"

"You can't imagine." Then she unexpectedly chuckled. "Maybe you can imagine. It's like being really hungover except noise and light don't bother you. The good news is that I haven't actually thrown up."

Roy smiled at her. "That's great news. I suppose it would be alright then if I stole a kiss from the mother of my child?"

Riza answered by leaning over and sealing her lips over his, strongly resisting his attempts to open her up. Finally she pulled back and gently put her hand on his chest. "I don't want to make out in a chapel. There's just something really wrong with that."

"We're going to be making out in front of the crowd in two days, what's the difference," he said as he leaned in again.

She pushed him back a little harder than she meant to, then said, "That's different, you're supposed to kiss at a wedding. Otherwise this is a house of worship and should be treated as such." She rose and stuck her hand out. "Come on, let's go home. After all, tomorrow night we'll be sleeping in separate places. We should probably make the most of the evening."

As they walked out of the building into the summer night, he squeezed her hand. "I almost can't believe that in only two days we'll be walking out of here as General and Mrs. Mustang… It's almost surreal."

"Let's just hope the Madame doesn't give Grumman a heart attack when he sees her and your new uncle arrive."

* * *

The next day was the wedding rehearsal, and it was a good thing they decided to practice because it seemed the civilians in the group couldn't remember their right from their left. Hayate didn't know what to think of all the tulle hanging around and decided tasting it would be the best way to determine if it was friend or foe… Roy pretended to be antsy that his Aunt hadn't shown up for the rehearsal, as it was supposed to be her and Braeda who would lead everyone out of the vestibule, but he knew she was planning on showing up at the last minute, had even talked to her before he and Riza left to come to the church.

In the end, everyone finally got their right foot forward, stepping at just the right pace, standing pretty as you please. Jean offered to stand in for Maes, holding a picture of the man who should have been Roy's best man. After all, someone needed to be able to hand Roy the golden band he planned on giving Riza at the ceremony.

Rebecca smiled brilliantly at the tall blond when she saw him, not realizing Sciezka and Jackie were watching the rehearsal in the pews. Jean was cordial, but no where near affectionate, no matter how she tried to touch him or otherwise subtly seduce him. And Sciezka didn't get angry, mostly because she knew what that Catalina woman was about and all she had to do was watch how Jean handled it. When it was time to go on to the rehearsal dinner, Jean politely excused himself from her company and rejoined his family and didn't otherwise interact with her.

Grumman walked his granddaughter down the aisle at the rehearsal and was alarmed to find Chris hadn't shown up, though he was also surprised that Braeda wasn't in attendance either. That further fueled his suspicions and before he, Roy and Riza left in the motorcade to the rehearsal dinner, he asked them where she was.

"And don't play dumb with me, I know something's going on," he said sternly.

"Honestly, sir," Roy said, hands wide apart and his tone serious. "I haven't heard from her since the day she left Braeda. She told me she was coming to check on the renovations and then go visit a friend in the south. I believe her exact words, 'If I make it to the wedding, great. If I don't, I'll read about it while sunning myself.'"

"Why would she just up and leave and not tell anyone where she was going?" he snarled. "You're her only living relative, as dear to her as if you'd been birthed from her own loins, and she's not even coming to your wedding?"

"It was because she thought Braeda was also coming, and because she knew you would be there," Riza said, staring coldly back at him. "Her heart was breaking over having to choose between you and she needed to be as far away from both of you as possible. It's really deplorable that you've gone through so much trouble to ruin two lives." She reached into her purse and pulled out a ginger snap to munch on as she decidedly bit her tongue (and her cookie) to keep from saying anything else.

Grumman sighed and said, "You wouldn't know anything about it, my dear."

"Wouldn't know anything about it?" she exploded, spraying crumbs across the backseat of the car. Roy urged her calmly to settle down, and she closed her eyes and really tried to reign in her anger. Finally after a few deep breaths, she growled, "No, sir. I have absolutely no idea what it's like to be in love with someone you can't have."

Once everyone arrived at the restaurant, the rest of the night went off smoothly. Dinner was superb and the little meeting that happened afterward regarding how to handle the press if confronted about the wedding's detail and where to meet before the wedding went smoothly as well. When it came time for Roy and Riza to part for the night, they left with tender kisses and a promise to see each other the next day.

Riza was surrounded by the bridesmaids and shuffled secretly out the back door to avoid the cameras. Roy walked right out the front door and told the press that tonight was his last official night as a bachelor and he intended to enjoy it by having a very long night of poker and pool back at the Armstrong Estate. And then he left too with his groomsmen, and the night's festivities finally got underway.

* * *

"Oh, I can't go out with you," Sciezka said. "I've got Jackie and-"

"You're one of the bridesmaids too, Sciezka," Gracia Hughes smiled. "You should go out with them. Elysia and I would love to watch Jackie for you! Besides," she said as she looked toward Elysia and the baby in her lap, "It looks like Jackie's really taken a shine to Elysia. And it'll be good for you to have some time with the girls."

"I don't want to be a bother or anything," the shy young woman said.

"Nonsense, we don't mind at all. Go and enjoy yourself!"

"Come on Sciezka, we're leaving!" Jerrica called from the back door.

Sciezka looked first to Jean who only smiled at her, then back to Gracia chewing her lip. Suddenly she handed over the baby's bag of things. "There's diapers and extra clothes and some bottles. Just nine ounces of milk when she starts rubbing her eyes and she should sleep for a good long while."

"Will do, now go and have some fun!"

Sciezka wasted no time in racing to one of the cars and hopping in. Vanessa hosted the party in her redecorated penthouse suite, and it didn't take long before the girls were asking what Roy was like in bed.

"It's traditional for you not to know these things and to speculate on them before you get married," Becky said. "But since you have the low down on how the great womanizer really is, spill it!"

Riza's face reddened. "I don't know if I should share that."

"Honey," India said, hand on her hip and finger waggling in the air, "If he was here, he'd be tootin' his own horn!" That got a hoot of laughter out of everyone, and Riza found herself even chuckling in agreement.

"Well… He's very thorough."

"What the hell does that mean?" Vanessa laughed.

"I mean to say that… He's a master of foreplay." The girls sounded surprised at that. "There's times when he's so into it that I have to tell him to stop and get to the main event already."

"Shit, I woulda pegged Roy Mustang for a bodice-ripping hero from the smut novels," India commented, downing half a glass of wine after saying so.

"No, he's not like that. I mean he can be if I'm trying to get him to stop working me up, but for the most part he's tender. He's so full of passion and really is good at lovemaking… I never expected him to be like that." Her stomach was in knots over sharing such information, but she wasn't entirely sure if some of that wasn't the baby inside her triggering more nausea either. So far, no one had said anything about her not drinking the wine in front of her…

"Is he loud or silent?" asked Jerrica.

Riza could feel the heat in her cheeks. "Mostly quiet, but not silent. He likes to say my name a lot… Sometimes he'll swear or give a strangled kind of yelp. Sometimes it depends on whether he's on top or not."

"Ooh, what's his favorite position?" This from mousy Sciezka who wasn't drinking anything stronger than water.

"I've said too much already," Riza said, trying to politely tell them to move on to something else.

"Jean's is doggy style," Sciezka said, encouraging Riza to keep sharing. "He especially likes it when he can stand on the side of the bed while I kneel on the edge of it, or even kneel in the seat of a chair."

Becky looked at Sciezka as if she'd grown a second head. "He never told me that. We always made love in missionary position."

Sciezka shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe it was because you never asked him what he liked."

The brunette looked as if she'd been slapped. Sciezka hadn't said anything hateful, but she did make a point… Rebecca couldn't recall a single time she asked him what he wanted to do. They always went to restaurants and eateries that _she_ liked and saw movies and went to places that _she_ wanted to go to. And in that single honest comment, Becky's jealousy fell away. Sciezka was a better fit for Jean than she was.

"Roy likes to bend me over things. The back of the sofa, the kitchen sink, the bathtub… I guess that's his favorite position." She fanned herself with her hand, "Can someone open a window, it's very hot in here."

Vanessa giggled and opened the bay windows wide to let in the cool breeze. "So what do you like, Miss Riza? Any particular way?"

She smiled softly. "Anything as long as it's him." A chorus of 'Awww' erupted and then she found herself with a rather large carrot in her hand. "What's this for?" she asked.

"It's a game, honey!" India exclaimed as she handed out more carrots around the room. "Put as much of it in ya mouth as ya can, then bite down to mark it. Whoever can deep throat their carrot the furthest wins!"

Riza rolled her eyes, grinning as she did so. This was going to be a night to remember.

* * *

When Sciezka returned to the hotel, she was carrying the prize she'd won from the carrot contest and didn't expect to find Jean on the couch, smoking a cigarette and listening to the radio. "What're you doing here?" she asked as he smiled up at her. "I thought you'd still be out with the General."

"I didn't feel much like hanging out tonight." Smoke danced ever upward from the lit cherry of his smoke, a tendril of translucent gray in the otherwise still air of the hotel room. "I tried to pick up Jackie but Mrs. Hughes said she was already asleep, so I came back here and thought I'd wait for you to come back." He nodded at the etched blue glass vase in her hands. "What's that?"

"Oh!" She handed it to him to examine and when he bent his knees she sat down in the place his feet previously occupied. "I won that playing a game."

"What game?"

She snickered, "The Deep Throat game."

Jean laughed. "That's my girl. I bet you showed those wore out whores the joy of having no gag reflex, huh?"

"The really nice girl, Jerrica I think her name is, she almost beat me. But when I managed to fit an entire carrot in and close my mouth, she forfeited." She smiled at him as he looked at her prize. "I have you to thank for that. You helped me practice until I could turn that reflex off."

Jean sat the vase down on the coffee table and stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray. "Hey… I got something I wanna talk to you about." He sat up, resting his back against the arm of the sofa and pulling Sciezka into his lap. His strong arms went around her and he breathed in the smell of her hair.

"What's up?" she asked quietly, her eyes closed and her body relaxed against him.

He took a deep breath and began. "When I first met you and I was just being able to walk again, I couldn't imagine dating you. I told myself that you were one of those girls who was a great friend but nothing more. And then when I finally saw how beautiful you really were, and how I was so blind and how I should've kicked my own ass over not seeing it before…" He trailed off and then started over. "What I mean is ever since we started seeing each other and especially ever since we've been living together, it seems like we get closer and closer and now… I get sick to my stomach when I think of not ever seeing you again. Is that what real love feels like?"

Sciezka didn't know what to say. She'd never heard him talk like that before, and she wasn't sure if that's what true love felt like or not. "I've heard it described that way… Maybe it is."

"And then I think of all the times we've slept together, and how every time when it was over how I wished it _wasn't_ over. And in the mornings when you're still asleep and I go to work, all I wanna do is freeze time and kiss your pretty, snoring face."

"I don't snore," she grumbled playfully.

"You do," he said, reaching up to her chin and making her look him in the eye. "You snore, you fart, you burp. You take wicked dumps and pick your nose."

"That's probably the least romantic thing that has ever been said in the history of any language."

"But it isn't," he protested as he brushed her bangs away. "I know the real you. I know the girl who wears mismatched pajamas and sometimes forgets to put the flag down on the mailbox. I know the fiery vixen I wish I could fuck for hours on end and the sweet little bookworm that most orthodox of priests would assume is the most chaste person in the world. I know the outstanding mother, the dedicated daughter…" He crushed her to his chest suddenly and he heard her squeak in surprise. "I love you so much, Sciezka."

"I love you too, Jean."

"I know I'll die without you…"

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetie," she soothed, her delicate fingers playing with the hair on his forearms.

"Will you stay with me forever? Will you marry me?" She nodded. "You'll be my wife?" Another nod and he could feel warm tears soaking his shirt. "I know now's not a great time, but would you give me another beautiful baby? Like in the future?" She climbed up his body and kissed him hard, her hands gripping his face like he was going to run away from her.

"A thousand times yes; a thousand times a thousand yes, and a thousand times more than that," Sciezka replied, quoting a passage from one of her favorite stories.

"And if there ever comes a time when this tired old body cannot reply in that manner, that it cannot form the sounds to answer that way, then it must surely mean that I have passed into the great beyond. But even then, my answer would be whispered on the wind and in the sound of every raindrop that falls soft to the ground: yes." Jean reached up and brushed Sciezka's tears away. "See? I was listening when you'd tell that story to Jackie every night. I know it's your favorite."

"I love you," the young mother replied as her voice wavered with emotion. Then she squeaked again when Jean picked her up and carried her to bed. "You know, if you want another baby, we could try now. Jackie will be walking and talking some, she'll be able to help me a little bit."

"We're just going to have a whole lot of fun while Jackie's gone. If a baby comes of it, great. If not, then we still will have had one hell of a long overdue romp in the sack, honey." He laid her down in the bed and started stripping her. "Now, show me how you won that pretty blue vase…"

* * *

Riza woke up in Vanessa's bed (who assured her a hundred times that the linens were fresh and that this new bed had not had any customers in it) and instantly reached for her purse with the gingersnaps in it. But it wasn't there, and it wasn't long before she had to give up her search to run and be sick in the bathroom. Jerrica came to her rescue with a glass of ice water and saltines. "Aww sweetie. It's just nerves, you'll be alright."

After she caught her breath, she took the cool wet rag the woman offered and patted her face. "It's more than nerves. I'm pregnant."

"What!" she exclaimed, and immediately Riza was trying to quiet her. "Why haven't you told anyone yet? How far along are you? Does Roy know?"

Riza managed to calm her down and she said, "We wanted to wait until after we were married to announce it, and it's a surprise for the Madame. Roy and I wanted her to be the first to know, but I'm probably going to need some help in keeping me from puking any more today. Can you help me do that?"

Jerrica threw her arms around Riza and hugged her. "Of course! I'm so happy for you guys!"

Even at 10:00 am, the penthouse apartment was crazy with activity. Rebecca was on the phone confirming the floral delivery; India was busy going over the dress one last time, steaming the wrinkles out of it and the bolero jacket. Vanessa sat Riza down at her small dining room table and forced her to eat a piece of dry toast and a cup of applesauce, and then everything stopped for a moment as she brought out a present from Roy wrapped in white paper with a silver colored bow.

Inside was a piece of paper with the note:

_You've got something borrowed, you've got something blue, you've got something old, now here's something new. I love you so much and can't wait to see you today._

Underneath that was a bright red garter with a little fireball charm attached to a lace rosette. When she lifted the thing out of the box to show everyone, underneath was another note:

_PS: I can't wait to see you tonight either_

"That dog!" Rebecca said as she went back to her checklist. "You are going to get one very thorough session tonight, Riza. Hope you've done some stretches."

Just then the phone rang. Vanessa picked it up, then smiled and called Riza over. When she answered, a smile bloomed on her face. "Madame, it's so good to hear your voice today."

" _How're you feeling this morning, sweetie? I just talked to Roy and he said you hadn't been feeling very well lately."_

It was hard to keep from telling her the good news right then, but she resisted. "Oh, it's just nerves I'm sure. Nothing to worry about, I promise." Her tone turned serious. "You and Mr. Madame are still coming I assume?" Braeda's new nickname was starting to stick…

" _Hell yes! I wish I could be there with you and all my girls right now, but I don't want to chance being seen until the very last minute. I wanted to ask you what Braeda and I need to do since we'll be coming down the aisle first."_

"Just hook arms and stroll down the aisle. Don't go too fast or too slow, just kind of stroll. Then when you get to the front, take a right and sit down in the first pew right on the aisle. Elysia and Sara will be right behind you and leading everyone else. When you hear the wedding march start, stand up so everyone else will know to stand up, and then the priest will tell everyone to be seated. And that's it!"

The Madame laughed in her roughened voice. _"I think we can handle that. Now listen to me, no matter what happens between Grumman and us, don't let that preacher stop the ceremony. We've got him beat, he just doesn't know it yet. You and Roy tie that knot and then we'll deal with Grumman if he gets out of hand."_

"Of course." India was calling for her come get her lingerie on. "I've got to go, Madame. It's time to start getting dressed."

" _Go on, sweetie, get primped and primed for the big day. We'll see you at the church."_

Just as she hung up Sciezka came in, looking like an exhausted heap. "Sorry I'm late."

"My god, girl!" India crowed. "Didn't ya sleep at all?"

She beamed tiredly. "No, not really… Jean asked me to marry him last night and we kind of spent the evening celebrating since Jackie was staying with Gracia and Elysia." Congratulations were given, speculations were made ("With all these weddings going around, it's kind of depressing to be a whore right now," Jerrica commented. "At this rate, I expect Falman to propose to Vanessa!"), and then finally, all of the girls began to get ready.

* * *

Roy awoke with a croak. His mouth tasted like someone had positively shit in it and he was pretty sure the white undershirt he had on was soaked through with cigar smoke and booze. He was lying in a chair with his feet propped up on a very not soft coffee table and he was pretty sure the crick in his neck could be seen from Resembool. He sat up and a pounding headache joined the symphony of his other aches and pains.

"Hey, Chief?"

Roy grimaced at the sound of Havoc's voice, or rather the volume of his voice. "Not so loud, Havoc."

"Sorry," he apologized. He walked over to Roy with a glass of water and plopped four aspirins into his hand. "There's fresh coffee downstairs," he whispered, "but start with this. They've got some finger food set up in the kitchen. If you want something I'll go grab you a plate."

"I think I need a shower first. I can practically smell the glass the whiskey was bottled in on my shirt." He stood up and cracked his back with a wince. "How'd you spend your night?"

"Fucking the hell out of my fiancé," he answered with a smirk. "You know she won the Deep Throat game at Riza's party?"

Roy's face cracked into a pained smile. "Good thing you reigned her in for yourself then, huh?" he answered. "Alright, point me in the direction of the shower." The two of them wandered out of the guest bedroom (where Fuery and Armstrong were found dozing side by side on the floor and Falman was the only one smart enough to crawl into the bed) and nearly ran into the Xingese Emperor, who was guarded only by his personal assassin, Lan Fan.

"Good morning, General," The young man said with a wicked, knowing smile. "I heard a riotous time was had by all who came to your get-together!"

Roy tried to smile genuinely, but the hangover was really blocking his progress. "Well, you know how men can get when alcohol is introduced, Your Celestial Highness."

"Indeed. For what it's worth you showed my concubines a good time. They were talking about it all morning."

Roy's face went white. Havoc looked at him and said, "Concubines, Chief?"

"I have no memory at all of any women," he said numbly. "And everyone was clothed as I just left our room…"

"That's because the Xingese find lovemaking in the nude to be grotesque and primitive. We prefer the feel of skin _and_ silk, not just one or the other. And as a matter of duty they never leave a man exposed."

Roy thought he just might vomit after all, and was ready to bolt to the bathroom when the Emperor laughed. "I'm just teasing you, Gen. Mustang! The concubines were with me all night long. While I'm quite comfortable among Amestrians, they are not. I assure you there were no illegitimate children made last night."

"That's a cruel joke to play on a man who's fighting a hangover on the morning of his wedding, Your Highness," Havoc scowled.

"It's tradition in Xing to play a rather involved prank on the groom as he struggles against the after effects of his binge. Many are much more involved than this I assure you. Think of it as a diplomatic sharing of cultures." He saw the relief in the dark headed man's face. "Seeing as your dear mother couldn't be with us on such an auspicious day, I thought a little Xingese teasing could honor her memory." He and Mustang shared a handshake and then the Emperor flipped his ponytail over his shoulder. "You must bathe and ready yourself to merge your life force with your beautiful bride. I anticipate seeing the equivalent of a royal wedding."

Finally, Roy was able to make it to the bathroom and take care of his necessaries and shower, brush his teeth and shave. After fidgeting about and obsessing over the cleanliness of his medals, it was finally time to dress and leave for the chapel. As they left the estate (which was in a world of craziness all its own being prepared for the ultimate reception), throngs of people were lined up along the road just to get a glimpse of anyone involved with the wedding.

As a gesture of fellowship, he rolled down the window of the car and waved to the people, who were all shouting and cheering for him as they rode to the chapel, where the crowd only worsened. Barricades were set up all around the perimeter and the cameras were flashing as soon as the car stopped in front of the church. The groomsmen poured out of two vehicles, waving politely and smiling. They were shuffled to an antechamber in the vestibule where a lint roller was run over everyone and Roy watched through a crack in the door as the ushers sat the hundreds of guests who seemed to file non stop through the door. Grumman came in for a moment, gave Roy some advice on fighting nerves, and then left for the room across the hall where his lovely bride was (Grumman must've been a distraction so that Riza and the bridesmaids could all come in without Roy seeing them). And then came the sight he'd been waiting for.

"You look so handsome, Roy-Boy," Chris said as she accepted the bear hug her nephew gave. "You're gonna give her shivers for sure."

"I'm so glad you're here, Madame. You too, Uncle Braeda," he winked as he stuck his hand out for a shake. Just then the priest knocked on the door.

"We're ready, General. Let's take our places!" He gave his aunt a quick kiss on the cheek. "Gotta go. We'll catch up at the reception."

Everyone filed out into the vestibule, lining up in order. Elysia Hughes and Sara Elric were positively adorable in matching light blue dresses and white patent leather shoes with frilly cuffed socks. They each carried a white basket full of white rose petals with a bright blue ribbon wrapped around the handle and their blonde hair done up in curls and whorls. Havoc carried a picture of Maes Hughes under his right arm as Rebecca took his left, behind them stood Fuery and Jerrica, behind them Falman and Vanessa, and bringing up the rear was Armstrong who would be walking with both India and Sciezka. The door opened to the bride's staging room, and Grumman appeared with Riza in all her white glory, and he looked nearly ready to cry as India passed her bouquet to her and smoothed the ribbons down so as to flatter her entre ensemble.

From the groom's chamber, Braeda and Chris emerged wearing broad smiles and not looking once at Grumman, whose jaw dropped.

And that's when all hell broke loose…

* * *

Stay tuned to Radio One Central as we bring you coverage of General Mustang's wedding. We'll return after a quick word from our sponsors


	14. Two Knots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Roy and Riza have their first dance to is my very favorite song: 'Nothing Else Matters' by Metallica. If you go to you tube, type "Nothing Else Matters - Apocalyptica" to hear the orchestral adaptation that I had in mind for their 'royal' reception.

The doors to the sanctuary opened, and Braeda smiled as he proudly led his wife and Roy's only surviving relative down the aisle of St. Artemisia's Chapel. Grumman didn't even get a chance to say anything to them because the procession had begun as soon as he and Riza emerged from the Bride's chambers.

"What the hell is going on here!" he bellowed, loudly enough that the guests in the rear could hear him, and causing Sara Elric to look up at him in fear before catching up to Elysia Hughes.

"We're having a wedding," Riza replied coldly. "I had no idea they were even here, but I'm not going to stop them now. Not with over 800 guests and thousands of people listening to the broadcast." Jean and Rebecca proceeded out as if nothing at all was amiss, irritating Grumman further.

"How dare they show their faces together in front of all these people!" he sputtered. "How could she embarrass me like this? Strolling with that _bastard_ and leading my dear granddaughter's bridesmaids down the aisle!" He jerked his glasses off and glared at the wedding party, who seemed to be smiling little knowing grins… as if they'd known all along they were coming… As if he'd been set up.

"This is what you've been hiding from me, isn't it?" he yelled in Riza's face. "This is the big surprise you kept saying you had for me and would reveal at the reception!"

Fuery and Jerrica looked toward Riza worriedly, but she waved them on. "No, it isn't at all. And before you go embarrassing yourself any further, please remember that the Madame is Roy's family. She has as much right to be here as you do," she whispered under her breath.

By this time, Grumman's face was red with fury. "I want them out of here!"

"If you don't settle down, I'll want _you_ out of here!" she deadpanned, trying desperately not to lose her temper.

"I'm the Führer of this country and no one is going to escort me out of anywhere!" Grumman turned with a jerk toward the vestibule doors. "Walk yourself down the aisle girl, I no longer want any part of this. And don't think I won't object to this union with that shady family of Mustang's. I want more for my great-grandchildren than to be related to those shysters." And he stormed down the long white satin runner, leaving Armstrong, India, Sciezka and Riza to frown after him.

"Captain, is there anything I should do?" Armstrong asked kindly, as he glanced up and acknowledged Lan Fan's presence near the ceiling. Her dark eyes were watching like a crafty spider in the shadows.

"Let him go," she said. "He wasn't a part of my life for a very long time, and I won't miss him now that he's lost himself." She watched as he pushed past Falman and Vanessa who were marching down as they should, and then the old man slid into the seat behind Braeda and Chris. She didn't see Roy's face but she knew he must be wide eyed and wondering what the hell was going on back in the back of the chapel…

"He's going to ruin everything," Sciezka said sadly. "I'm so glad my own wedding isn't going to be like this, in front of the whole world and so meticulous."

Riza was about to tell the others not to worry and proceed as planned when India chuckled. "I got an idea." She instructed the ushers to shut the doors to the vestibule and then she shared her thoughts with the others. Despite Sciezka's protests, the mousy woman finally agreed to be a part of the scheme. The three women went back into the bride's chamber and Armstrong came down to the altar and had a little chat with Roy and the priest, then returned to the bride's chamber.

The priest stepped forward and smiled. "It seems in all the excitement, the bride's having a little bout of wedding jitters. I've been informed that she'll be out in just a moment, please be patient." The crowd began to murmur and the radio announcer began plugging the sponsors who had made the big broadcast possible.

It was one of the longest waits in Roy's life.

* * *

"You ran off in the middle of the night and didn't even give me a chance to prove myself worthy to you, despite knowing how I felt about you," he hissed in her ear, Braeda glaring daggers at him that he was too unaware to see. "I come all the way to that hellhole to try to talk to you and at least salvage our friendship and you hideout… god knows where, giving me the slip while your boy here plays the part of heartbroken drunk to cover your tracks… Why are you even here?"

She smiled and never looked at him. "I'm here to see my son marry his long time sweetheart. I'm certainly not here to see you, Eli."

"There are heads of state, Prime Ministers, foreign royalty and dignitaries of the highest ranking in this audience. A _whore_ like _you_ doesn't belong here!" he yelled in a whisper.

The woman slowly turned her head minutely in his direction, but still continued to smile and not look at him. "And to think, the Führer of Amestris wanted so badly to be this old whore's husband and consort!" she said cheerfully. "It's a good thing you came to your senses when you did, Your Excellency. Can you imagine the headlines if you'd walked _me_ down the aisle instead of Riza?" Then she made a little groan and a _tsk-tsk_ sound as she shook her head. "That's right, you won't even walk your granddaughter down the aisle and give her away. You had to go and make a little scene. Maybe you are getting a little senile in your old age."

Braeda's arm came around her shoulders and suddenly Grumman came face to face with man's wedding band, gleaming in the flickering candlelight and speaking volumes without saying a word.

"You… How'd you get married without my knowledge! How did Dieruff not see you together!"

Braeda looked him in the eye and said sharply, "He saw everything. He slept on my couch for nearly three weeks and made his reports to you from my telephone."

Grumman looked ready to have a fit when all at once Ling appeared out of nowhere, seated beside Grumman as if he'd been there the whole time. Suddenly his rage and anger turned to surprise. "Emperor Ling! My goodness, you're stealthy as a black cat!"

"I was wondering why you're seated on the groom's side when it's your granddaughter who's getting married," he said with a smile. "Shouldn't you be on the bride's side of the hall?"

Grumman was flustered for a moment, having seemingly forgotten that he was in the middle of possibly the biggest event in political history. Representatives from every country that Amestris had ever made war with was in the room, and here he was acting so unprofessional… "Err, well-"

"Forgive me if I've got it wrong, this is the first western wedding I've ever seen, but I'm fairly certain you should represent the bride's family in that empty spot there by the Elric family." Ling gave nothing away with his feigned ignorance, but he was already in on Riza's plan, Lan Fan having joined him after learning of it and now seated beside her Lord and ready to unsheathe a kunai if necessary.

Grumman gave a nervous smile and agreed. "You're absolutely right, Emperor. I shall take my rightful seat as we wait for my granddaughter to make her grand entrance!" Ling smiled as he stood up, carefully stepped over the tulle sash and took his appropriate place. Edward Elric tried to strike up a conversation with the old man, but he wasn't having any of it, so he turned his golden gaze back to adoring his only daughter from the front row.

The organist played a calming little tune as everyone waited patiently, and finally after about twenty minutes, India came down the aisle. "She's ready!" she shouted as she hurried to the altar, taking a moment to stop and hand Roy something, and then the organ stopped for a moment. When it started up again, it was the Wedding March and the crowd stood. Everyone stood, though Grumman couldn't even watch as the vision in white made her way down to the altar.

Once the bride was in place, the priest said, "You may all be seated," and Grumman took that as an opportunity to slide right back over to the groom's side and squeeze in next to Chris.

"Are you living the happily ever after yet?" he growled low so as not to disturb the ceremony.

"Yes. Braeda's everything I never knew I wanted."

"You didn't even give me a damn chance!"

Chris sighed and furrowed her brow. "Can't you just let it go, Eli? It's over. It's not healthy for you to keep hovering over me and my husband like this." She finally faced him, saying, "You know what I really wish I could do? I truly wish I could bring Belinda back. You've been in such pain ever since she passed."

Grumman was stunned to hear such a thing come out of her bright red mouth. And come to think of it, this was the first time he'd really gotten a good look at her with sober eyes and in good lighting. She wasn't the beauty he'd always thought of, and she was certainly not the warm and enticing woman she was when he put money in her hand. Then a troubling thought occurred to him: was he really in love with the character she portrayed, and not the woman herself?

It was too late to own up to such an error as that, he decided. Now his wanting her had more to do with that selfish, testosterone driven urge to lay claim to her; he wanted her simply because some other man who was younger and stronger and more handsome wanted her, and she hadn't picked him…

"You have no right to speak of my late wife, Chris. You could never be worthy of shining her dainty shoes, much less harping on about how much she should be here with me."

She nodded. "It's obvious you still miss her, and you always will. But I will never be able to be her replacement, and I have absolutely no interest in someone as low as you." She looked back toward the wedding and said, "You may rule over this nation, but you'll never rule over me. And the next time you think you can, you may have to pay for your mistake with something more than an easily bought off Sergeant."

The priest's voice rang out, catching Grumman's attention. "Now that you've professed your love to each other, to these guests, and to God, does anyone here have any reason why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony?"

Grumman jumped to his feet, ran toward the altar and yelled, "I cannot allow my granddaughter to join herself with this backstabbing, no good, morally bankrupt twit!" He grabbed the bride's arm and jerked her around-

And a resounding smack was heard throughout the chapel as the guests watched the bride's small hand slap his cheek. "Let me go, Führer Grumman!"

Grumman looked at the woman before him… She was shorter than Riza, had auburn hair and big round glasses… "Who are you?"

"I'm about to be Mrs. Havoc, if you don't mind!"

* * *

_About 45 minutes previously_

"This is never going to work!" Sciezka cried as India all but yanked the girl out of the blue bridesmaid dress and slipped Riza's backup dress on her backwards. She pulled a stapler out of one of the duffle bags she'd brought full of makeup and extra costume jewelry and began fitting the dress around her much smaller ribs.

"Sure it will," the dark skinned woman said. "Grumman ain't been payin' attention to anything since he saw those two. I doubt he even 'members what Riza looks like right now." She carefully pulled the dress back off and then flipped it right side out and slipped it back on. "We'll just put a bigger veil on top. No one'll know the difference."

Riza smiled at the young woman. "You look lovely, Sciezka." The girl blushed adorably, and Riza continued, "You and Havoc deserve the best. I'm happy to share my wedding day with you."

"I guess it's a good thing his mom was able to make it in after all. I saw her sitting with Mrs. Hughes and Jackie." Sciezka looked at her friend and thanked her.

India worked on Sciezka's hair for a moment, then crowned her with what seemed like yards and yards of the leftover tulle from the decorating crew, and topped it all off with a sparkly tiara. A quick polishing of her glasses and Riza handed the small bouquet back to her. "Uh-uh, a bride needs a bigger bouquet than that," India sassed, and she pulled the flowers from the vase on the small table out and wrapped them in some lengths of tulle, then lobbed off the stems with sewing scissors. "Now then, that's a proper bridal bouquet." It was a mix of what was all around the church: light pink and peach colored roses with purple accents of larkspur and baby's breath. "You're ready, sweetheart, let's go!"

India stood her and Armstrong in front of the double doors, told them to walk slow and wished Sciezka luck, then eased out into the sanctuary, alerting the crowd and the organist it the bride was ready, purposefully leaving out her name. And then the music started, the crowd stood, and the ushers opened the door. Sciezka almost forgot how to put one foot in front of the other for a moment, but with Armstrong there to guide her to start and seeing Jean's stunned and grinning face, she felt herself begin to move. Her feet felt as if they never touched the ground, and India was right, Grumman was glaring at Chris rather than looking at her. Jean waited until the last minute to swap places with Roy, and the crowd began to wonder what was going on, but she could see Grumman was more interested in getting to the bottom of what was going on between the woman he'd been hunting down and the man he despised. Armstrong put her hand in Jean's and gave the blond a pat on the shoulder, then took his place among the groomsmen.

Jean managed to whisper to her during the opening prayer that she looked gorgeous, and her attention was rightfully drawn back to her own wedding. The priest led them through prayers and vows, and guided Jean to slip India's ring onto her finger as a token of their love for each other. She could see from the corner of her eye Jackie sleeping on Gracia's shoulder and Havoc's mother crying joyfully into a handkerchief. She could see Roy's impatient grin, the Madame's unfazed, calm, soft smile beaming back at her despite Grumman's angry hisses… But most of all she saw Jean Havoc looking at her with the most love filled look she'd ever seen on his face. He looked like a man on cloud nine. She only hoped she looked as happy as she felt.

And then the priest asked, "Now that you've professed your love to each other, to these guests, and to God, does anyone here have any reason why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony?" She heard the man breathe, take in a breath that would be expelled in the declaration of her being married… but before that could happen she heard an old man shouting and felt a bony hand wrap around her wrist and begin tugging her away.

And _no one_ was going to tug her away from Jean now. So she did the only thing she could think of to do: she yanked her hand away from her abductor, and when he whirled around to grab her again, she slapped him as hard as she could, leaving a bright red welt across his cheek…

* * *

"Who are you?"

"I'm about to be Mrs. Havoc, if you don't mind!" This girl wasn't Riza at all. This was a skinny little thing with a big bosom, auburn hair and glasses. He looked toward the groom and saw that it wasn't Roy Mustang, that he was now standing in the best man's place and Jean Havoc was in fact the groom. He looked as if he would break the old man into forty pieces if he didn't unhand the little woman and let him finish making her his wife.

"I… I'm so sorry…" he stammered as he backed away from the happy couple. "But where's Riza?" He looked out toward the pews, searching and scanning, seeing deep worry and concern on every face looking back at him. He could hear the radio announcer saying something about shocking developments and that the Führer seemed to be very out of sorts since the wedding began. He realized then that he'd been duped. He began running for the exit at the back of the chapel, and just before he made it to the vestibule several MPs had come to his side, asking if he needed to see a doctor or wanted to rest a bit. "I think I need some water, boys." They all walked together into the large lobby-like area, and he saw Riza standing there watching him with sad eyes.

"Don't you remember? We were going to let Havoc and Sciezka get married before us, because they could never afford to have such a pretty wedding." She shook her head in disbelief, "We rehearsed everything yesterday, how could you forget? And now you've ruined her big day while trying to ruin mine. And all because you lost a couple hundred Cenz last night at Roy's poker party." She gave away nothing but a well played falsehood that the MPs were eager to believe.

Grumman's tears, unlike Sciezka's, were very real. "I'm sorry. I was wrong."

"Yes you were. I think it would be best if you waited in the groom's chambers until after everyone leaves. At least you'll be able to avoid being seen by the press, although that broadcast isn't going to help your cause much, I'm afraid." Her eyes said everything else that needed to be said. _You've lost. It's over: your days as Führer, your malevolent pursuit of Christmas Mustang and your vindictive meddling with Braeda Mustang. It's all over._

"Can I have a moment alone with Riza, please," he asked as the MPs were replaced with his usual security detail. The men nodded and left them standing in the vestibule. Grumman removed his glassed and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "I deserved that."

"Indeed."

"Can you find it in your heart to let me walk you down the aisle? Let me salvage something of my dignity before I turn this country over to your husband?"

"You insulted him in front of many important people and everyone listening to Radio One Central. And besides that, you abandoned me back here for a woman who doesn't love you. You've embarrassed everyone here and your entire nation in front of very important people we're trying to unite with, and you've got the nerve to ask me if you can still walk me down the aisle?" She stepped toward him. "And yet as awful as you've acted, I still have a surprise to share with you, though you don't deserve a gift of any kind right now."

"No, I don't," he agreed.

"Nonetheless, I think you do deserve to know that you'll be a great-grandfather next year. I can't believe you'd think my surprise was that the Madame had returned home." She wasn't surprised to find him with his eyes closed and a sad, shameful smile on his face.

"You're going to marry and raise a child with a man who was practically born and bred in a brothel? Do you know what kind of morals you're setting this baby up for?" he asked, sneering at her.

Riza looked him right in the eye and answered, "I have stood by him through war, genocide, the murder of his closest friend and the whole ordeal with the Promised Day. I've known him for longer than I've known any of my own family, and I've never loved anyone else the way I love him. I'm not going to turn away from him now, and certainly not because a jealous, jilted lover who abused his authority and did spiteful things says he's worried about my husband's morals."

Grumman bowed his head in defeat. "Do what you want, you always have." He said nothing else as he excused himself to the groom's chambers and shut the door.

"Uh, I'm sorry everyone," Riza heard the priest say. "It appears the Führer isn't feeling well. If anyone has any _real_ reason that these two shouldn't be married, speak now or forever hold your peace." A few quiet moments ticked by and the man sighed in relief. "Thank goodness! Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride young man!" she heard the priest say joyfully. Riza got as close to the doors as she could and peeked out to see Jean peeling back Sciezka's veil and kissing her as the organist began to play again. A moment later, they parted and Jean and Roy switched places, and though Sciezka was going to go the end of the row of bridesmaids, Becky smiled and grabbed her arm, putting her as maid of honor and shuffling everyone else back. And then it was Riza's turn.

* * *

The ushers opened the door for her as everyone stood for a second time in the sanctuary. For the first time in a long time, she felt her face break into a wide genuine smile as she caught Roy's eyes. He was so handsome in his neatly combed hair and his shining medals. She fought tears, and when she got to the altar they shared a relieved chuckle.

"Let me begin by saying it was very kind of the General to allow his former subordinate to marry his fiancé before he could marry his own bride. I've never been in war or the military, but anyone who would be willing to share his wedding day with his veteran friend has got to have a heart of gold." Judging by the sound of applause coming from the crowd, they couldn't agree more. "The couple has asked that we have a moment of silence for a friend who could not be here on this special day, for a friend who was taken away too soon from all those who loved him. Please bow your heads as we take a moment to remember Brig. Gen. Maes Hughes." The priest, a balding, fat man with cheery pink cheeks, a salt and pepper beard and glasses bowed his head as the others followed suit. Jean held the framed military portrait reverently as the stillness stretched on, interrupted only by small children who didn't understand what was going on and the gentle shushing their mothers gave. Finally, the priest said a prayer in Maes' name, and began the ceremony.

Roy was lost in Riza's loving gaze as the practiced words rolled off his tongue as if he were on autopilot. She was elegant, refined looking, and positively stunning in the dress his 'sister' had fashioned for her. He could smell the white lily perfume she favored coming off of her sweet skin, and he found the slight tremble in her hands achingly adorable. He found it hard to do much more than just stare at her. Roy only wondered if he could ever live up to her greatest expectations and be the best husband and father he could be. But something about the way she looked at him told him that even if he found himself struggling, Riza would always be there to help him along the way.

"Now that you've professed your love to each other, to these guests, and to God," the priest began cautiously, "does anyone here have any reason why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony?" This time, no one spoke up. "Praise be to God!" The guests laughed and the jolly holy man smiled at the man and woman in front of him. "Then it gives me great joy to say this: by the power vested in me I now pronounce you General and Mrs. Mustang. General, you may kiss your bride!"

Riza wound her arms around his neck as he leaned down and captured her mouth in front of everyone, and the chapel erupted into cheers and applause. Just about everyone who arrived in an Amestrian uniform gave a standing ovation, so did about half of the Ishvallan section. The Cretan ambassador's wife kept dabbing her eyes, the Aerugoan Prime Minister whistled, and Ling Yao was shouting very graphic obscenities in Xingese regarding his wedding night. Lan Fan's face was red under her mask, and Mei Chang and Alphonse Elric shook their heads and groaned. The organ began to play again, Roy reluctantly released the hold his lips had on his _wife_ and he gave her a brilliant smile as he gave his arm to her. They walked down the aisle together, smiling and waving at their guests.

They waited alone together in the bride's chambers (Havoc looked in the groom's chambers and found Grumman gone, so he took Sciezka and had a moment alone with her there). After the guests had all exited, the wedding party went back to the front of the church and took several photos, as well as a quick set for the newspaper to be printed in the special edition. And then finally, they all exited the chapel, rice being thrown in every direction and walking under twenty drawn sabers to a very decorated, white horse drawn carriage. Havoc and Sciezka insisted they go by car to the reception with their daughter and Havoc's mother, and that the Mustangs had done enough for them today.

As the carriage moved slowly past the people of Amestris, Roy gathered his wife to him. "That worked out pretty well."

"I had nothing to do with it, it was all India." She gave him a peck on the lips, smiling at the crowd's reaction. "Your sisters are amazing."

"They had a great mother." He put his forehead against hers. "I'm so glad she's back home where she belongs. And I'm glad they got married, too." He laughed quietly. "Funny how they inspired us to find a way to get married, and then we inspired Havoc and Sciezka, and it looks like Falman might be next."

"And did you see Fuery and MacLendon? There's something there between them as well."

"You know what I'm looking forward to? Besides tonight?" He smiled at his bride, "Telling the Madame she's going to be a grandmother."

Riza smiled back. "Yes, that's going to be the best thing; seeing her face light up." She took his hand and said, "She won't be the first to know though. I had to tell Jerrica because I was sick this morning and she kept me full of ginger all day. And then I told Grumman," she added sadly. "He thought I was going to surprise him with the Madame. He was so wrapped up in her that he couldn't see anything else. I wonder where he went anyway?"

"Who cares, this is our day," he said, kissing her again, grinning against her lips when the crowds around the Armstrong estate roared. "And of course it's also Havoc and Sciezka's day…" They pulled in at the gates and circled around to the front door. Roy stepped down first, helped Riza to the foothold and then picked her up and carried her into the mansion as the people outside the grounds whooped and hollered in celebration.

* * *

Jean read a very touching passage from Maes' journal, a secret plea to the powers of the universe that Roy and Riza would find a way to be together, and that if he had any say in it he would force them to realize their feelings for each other, even if he had to single handedly do it. There were some little jokes about hoping the children looked like Riza, some jokes about the lengths Roy would have to go to in order for Riza to crack a wide, happy smile… But mostly it was about how much he cared for Roy as a friend and him knowing how much the two of them cared about each other as something more than friends. It was very moving and Roy hugged Jean tightly afterward.

Roy didn't give a best man's speech because the other wedded couple announced they would be having their reception at a later date so as not to impose upon their already gracious friends. Instead, he stood and thanked everyone for helping their big day finally come to fruition, to hoping that all the love shared today could help build friendly bonds between all the nations represented, and that he hoped he could always count everyone in attendance at the estate and on the streets, from the lowliest pauper to the richest diplomat as one of his extended family.

After dinner was served, eaten and the dishes cleared away, the massive wedding cake was wheeled in. It was four tiers high, square shaped, and covered in sugar flowers. The flowers were recreations of those indigenous to Creta, Drachma, Aerugo, and Xing. The topper was a beautiful bisque replica of the couple in a mother of pearl finish and was surrounded by the flags of the different countries in attendance. Riza took only a sip of the champagne at the cake cutting, mostly for the photographers, and despite being urged to, she didn't shove Roy's piece of cake up his nose. Roy couldn't resist getting a little icing on hers though, and after licking it off of her, he kissed her in apology. They took the dance floor as the chamber orchestra began to play "Nothing Else Matters" twirling and revolving around as the dark strains of the song lilted on the air. And after that, the Madame and Braeda cut in, and others began to dance as well.

"Well Roy-Boy," the Madame smiled, "you did it."

The General led his aunt into a fox trot and gave her a smirk. "Oh you have no idea what I've done."

"If you think I don't already know about your plans to really open a second Christmas Inn in Youswell, you're mistaken," she smirked right back. "I knew about that idea from the moment it left your mouth."

Roy laughed. "I assure you, while that was discussed during your absence, that's not what I'm talking about. You really don't have a clue what I've done!" She rolled her eyes at him, then told him to spill the beans already. "I don't know, Madame… Such a surprise might cause your heart to give out on you."

"For cryin' out loud, son! What is it?"

He stopped dancing and she gave him a confused look. "How would like to have a grandchild next spring?"

Her jaw dropped and her mouth opened wide… then she screamed, " _OHMYGOD!_ " And if Roy wasn't laughing at her already, he definitely was when she started jumping, her huge breasts flopping up and down as she bounced all over the dance floor, causing the other dancers to stop and wonder about her. Braeda was grinning from ear to ear, as Riza had shared with him the secret so they could watch her reaction to it. For a few moments, she hopped around squealing, "Oh my God!" as loud as she could in her scotch flavored voice. Finally she stopped and took breath after breath, then she pounced on Roy, her heavy arms squeezing him tight to her as she yelled at the top of her smoke filled lungs: " _I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER!_ "

Riza came and patted her shoulder, and suddenly she was the one being crushed by the Madame, who almost immediately released her as she bent down and started talking to Riza's belly. Braeda stuck his hand out in congratulations. "You've made an old woman very happy, sir."

"You have too, Braeda. And after everything she's been through, she certainly deserves to be so happy." He watched his aunt and his wife smiling together. "I haven't seen her like this in a very long time."

"She should be this way all the time," Braeda commented. "I'll do everything I can to keep her this way, I promise." Roy nodded at him and congratulated him on his own marriage, and then the four of them wandered into the Armstrong rose garden to catch up after their long separation.

* * *

That night, at the Baldwin Grand Hotel in the honeymoon suite, Roy carried his bride into the room and deposited her safely onto the bed. He chuckled as her hands came to his jacket. "This isn't fair, you know how to get me out of this uniform but I haven't got the first idea how to get you out of that dress."

"It's just like any other dress. There's a single hook and then a zipper," she said as he kissed her neck and began to peel her out of the bolero jacket.

"I have waited all day to unwrap you, my dear." He was startled to hear her chuckling. "What's so funny?"

"That's the first time you've ever called me anything other than my rank or Riza," she gasped as he groped a breast through her dress.

"What do you want to be called?" he husked as he tugged her zipper down. "Sweetness? Darling? Honey? Baby?" When she groaned and her hips jerked and rolled toward him, he had his answer. "Baby it is…"

"Please," she begged him in a whisper.

He backed away for a moment, stripped faster than she'd ever seen, and then he was naked and coming at her like a tiger. When he helped her to her feet and the dress puddled at her shoeless feet, it was his turn to chuckle. "You remembered."

She stood in a white corset, white garter belt with long white lace stockings and crotchless panties. "Of course I remembered," she said with a grin. He took her in his arms and kissed her deep, his hands roaming and delighting in the feel of satin and skin.

He hefted her to his chest and put her in the bed again, crawling on top of her and dropping kisses in various places. "I've dreamed of doing this ever since I met you," he purred. "And you look as lovely now as you did in every fantasy I ever had of you in this outfit, even more amazing than I imagined." He looked down at her hip, his hand smoothing over the satin garter belt and the skin of her thigh, two variations of silky perfection. "The Xingese Emperor told me that in Xing they find lovemaking in the nude to be completely abhorrent. They enjoy the feel of flesh and fabric together. I guess maybe my Xingese heritage is to blame for this long held dream I've had."

"Roy…"

"Yes, baby?"

"You talk too much." Her hands pulled his body down flush with hers, and they spent the rest of the night consummating their marriage.

* * *

Braeda unlocked the door to their Central apartment, the one with the nice back patio and all the lush potted greenery. It still smelled like home: a mix of cigarette smoke and clean clothes.

"I never thought we'd ever get to come back," Chris said as she kicked her shoes off and flopped down on the couch. "I bet everything in the fridge is long spoiled."

"Vanessa said she'd cleaned it out and had someone come and clean the aquarium." He opened the door and looked inside. It had even been defrosted and a six pack of beer and a bottle of scotch were inside, both with red bows on them. "Hey look! A homecoming present!" He poured his wife a scotch on the rocks and cracked open a beer for himself. He sat down beside her and passed her the drink as she lit a cigarette. "You know, now that you're gonna be a grandma, you might want to think about quitting smoking and drinking. That's not something you need to encourage a kid to do."

"I've been thinking about that anyway," she sighed. "I figure if I give it up I can add more years to our union."

He grinned at her. "That's true too. I'd love to be able to spend more than just ten years with you." He leaned over and kissed her and she sighed softly through her nose. "What's wrong?"

She sat her glass on the end table and snuggled up to him. "I know he nearly ruined everything for us and Roy-Boy, but I can't help but wonder where Grumman is tonight. I feel sorry for him… Is that natural?"

"I hope he's not causing somebody else grief," Braeda grumbled. "Hopefully he's nursing one of those drinks he favors and doing some serious thinking back at the mansion."

"I hope so, too. That man's got a lot to think about. Especially now that Riza's pregnant." He kissed his wife on her head. "Grandma Christmas sounds too wholesome y'know. Is the baby gonna call you Madame too?"

"'Some may call me Christmas, some may call me Chris, some may call me Mustang but those are folks that I won't miss. Some may call me common whore, but they know me not from Adam, 'cause 'round these parts the boys all know that my real name is Madame.' I want that put on my headstone." They both laughed at her sing song rhyme.

"Did you make that up?"

"Jerrica did actually," she said, taking a drink of her scotch before setting it back down.

"I don't wanna think about you dying, sweetheart."

"I don't either, not when everything's finally going right." She patted his knee with her chubby hand. It wasn't long before she was sliding away from his knee and closer to his fly. "Let's think about something else," she suggested.

Braeda smirked. "Let's go see if our bed still feels good," he growled in her ear.

"You feeling adventurous?" she asked, helping him to his feet.

"Maybe. Why?"

"I had a lovely talk with the Emperor of Xing…"


	15. A Lily Bean

After he'd returned home, Eli Grumman decided it was time to fall off the face of the earth. He wasn't even sure how he was going to do it, but as he wrote out his letter of resignation, his favorite housekeeper wandered in and gave him one hell of a suggestion on how to do it, and he asked her to gather what she needed and get started right away.

It had been a while since he'd last shaved his mustache off, and now that it was gone he found he looked even older without it, more pathetic than ever. He glanced at Valerie, who was washing the razor in the wash basin. He continued to look at himself in the mirror, unsure of who he'd become or who he was turning into. Eventually Valerie returned to his side and stood waiting patiently with a pair of scissors.

"You're sure about the haircut, sir? I can slick it down if you'd rather…"

"Just get on with it, my dear."

Together, they watched as tufts of hair fell away, eventually leaving him looking like a very old man indeed. With his glasses on, he looked like an ordinary grandfather, and nothing like the Führer he did when he came home. His resignation letter was on his desk in the bedroom, Valerie had a trunk packed for him and ready to go, and because security was bare bones at that time, she would be able to get him out the servant's entrance without any problem.

"Sir, I have something I want to say before you go," she said wringing her hands as he dressed in gardener's clothes. "I've always appreciated how well you've treated me, and I'll never think of you as a bad man, no matter how the press decides to portray you."

He smiled sadly at her, came to her side and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Valerie. You always were a sweet girl." He turned to go, but she grabbed his hand in both of hers.

"Wait. I'll be fired as soon as Mustang takes over… and I've got quite a large chunk of money saved from you increasing my salary. And though I know your heart's already been given to someone else…"

Grumman spun around and grabbed her in a tight hug. She went on to say they could go to a small town, pose as father and daughter, that she would find work and support them from what she'd saved and what she'd be making if only he would take her with him.

"I can't promise I'll love you," he said.

"I'm not asking you to. As long as you care about me, I won't need you to love me."

He smiled at her and took her hand. "Then let's get going, Valerie."

The resignation wasn't discovered until the next morning, and Roy took over as Führer immediately. His first order was to button the military's lip about his disappearance. He didn't want the people to worry about having a crazy man on the loose among the general population. Instead, Roy told those who asked that Grumman was enjoying a very deserved (albeit sudden) retirement in the countryside.

No one seemed to notice the old man with the cane walking behind a young woman dragging a trunk on portable dolly, climbing on board a train headed for somewhere warmer and quieter. No one seemed to remember Grumman after two weeks, and everyone just assumed he was vacationing in a private retreat somewhere.

And that was just how Grumman had planned it.

* * *

"I told you I had a feeling," Chris fretted, shifting nervously in the passenger seat. "I knew we should've ordered in."

"Sweetheart, you were driving her crazy!" Braeda said as he sped through the Central streets, racing to the military hospital. "Roy begged me to get you out of there, for her sake as much as yours."

"I can't believe the little thing is finally coming!" she said excitedly, clapping her hands and bouncing in her seat. Then she huffed and reverted back to her complaining, "Can't this damn thing go any faster!"

"Shh, we're almost there. Besides, don't babies usually take a while to come out?" Braeda refused to run the red light that currently had the Madame shouting out a stream of filthy words. "The kid'll still be there, even if we somehow miss the birth."

When they finally arrived, it took him a moment to find a parking spot, and then once the car had stopped, he all but ran along behind Chris as she darted toward information. After being cleared through security, they were escorted to where Roy's security detail was, and then they showed the two of them to the private waiting room. The first thing they saw was Roy, pacing in the waiting room and chewing his nails down to the quick.

"Roy-boy, how long has she been back there?" his aunt asked as soon as she snatched him up in her arms.

"I dunno, time feels funny right now," he answered in a slightly dazed voice. "I think we might have been here only ten minutes, but surely it's been longer than that. Maybe an hour? I'm sorry…"

She plucked a cigarette from her case and lit it. "I've got plenty to share if you want a few," she offered. He accepted, and the two of them walked around the waiting room like caged tigers, wearing paths into the floor and flying into a near panic at the sight of any nurse or doctor.

After five hours, they'd both settled down some, and Roy was able to tell time properly again. He said that Braeda had just left the curb when Riza's water broke, and despite his wife's urgency that he remain calm, he'd called the hospital and had them send an ambulance rather than wait for the midwife to come and do her routine evening check as she'd been doing the past week. Now she was laboring in an unknown room, with unknown nurses and doctors attending to her, and it was unknown as to how much longer they would all be waiting. Braeda had no trouble catching some Z's while his wife and 'son'-in-law did their waiting dances, and when he'd woken from a nice long nap, he walked down to where Roy's aides and guards sat keeping watch and asked if they wouldn't mind bringing them some coffee and sandwiches, and could they please make a run to the gift shop and pick up a pack or two of cigarettes for the two fiends…

And just as Braeda returned with the things they'd requested, a petite silver-haired nurse emerged from the double doors and called Roy's name. "Führer Mustang?"

The man nearly tripped twice over his own feet as he scurried to her. "Yes, what's going on?"

The woman beamed, her hand landing gently on his arm. "Congratulations, Your Excellency! It's a girl!"

Roy's face became as the sun, glowing and bright with a mile wide smile. "A girl!" he breathed as Chris joined him, pulling him into her arms and crying tears of joy into his shirt. "A little girl!"

"Mother and daughter are both doing very well and are now resting a bit. Once we get them moved to a room you may see them." The nurse turned and left, and Roy grabbed his aunt and began to cry himself.

"Congratulations, guys," Braeda smiled.

"Congratulations to you, too," Roy said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand as he jerked his 'uncle' into a bear hug. "You keep forgetting we're family now."

"That's right, Papaw." Chris found a handkerchief in her purse and blew her nose, thankful, yet again, that she had her makeup tattooed on years ago. "This little one may not be blood to you, but she'll never know the difference and will love you just as dearly as you'll love her."

Still in blissful shock, Roy said again, "A girl… a _daughter_ … I can't believe it."

"Yeah, I thought you swore it would be a boy?" Braeda asked.

Chris smirked. "Someone was certainly busy, either making up for lost time or jerking it perpetually…"

"Oh, can it!" he huffed playfully.

Braeda asked, "Any idea what you're going to name her?"

"I have no idea at all, Braeda. We were both certain it would be a boy."

Suggestions flew out of Chris mouth, each one worse than the last in Roy's opinion. And then the nurse came back and escorted them to the room Riza and the baby had been sent to. Roy was the first one to see Riza, smiling exhaustedly up at him with tired eyes. "Come look at our little girl, Daddy."

Wispy dark hair crowned her head, and she was still a bit smooshed up looking, but it was love at first sight. Roy's finger came down feather-light against her chubby little cheek, and the baby let out a little contented sigh. "She's beautiful. Just like her mother."

"Poor thing looks just like you when you were born," Chris teased. "Have you thought about any names yet, Riza?"

"I've been a little busy, Madame," she laughed tiredly. "But she definitely needs a name. We can't keep calling her 'Little One'." She looked at how Roy's eyes never moved from the child's face and she asked, "You want to hold her?"

A smile bloomed on his face as he bent over and Riza shuffled the baby gently into her father's arms. He sat down on the bed near Riza's legs and began to talk to her. "What a surprise you turned out to be. We were so sure you'd be a little boy, and we were going to name you Benjamin."

Braeda laughed softly, "She certainly doesn't look like a Benjamin! And I don't think there's a feminine form of it, like Benjamina…"

"You could always call her by your mother's name," Chris suggested as she peered over Roy's shoulder. "Not many Amestrians are named Liling though."

Riza's face brightened. "Liling is a little too foreign, but what about Lily, or Lila…"

Roy angled his arm and showed the newborn to his aunt, uncle and wife. "What do you think, does she look like a Lily?" The infant in the pink blanket with the dark hair gave a little coo and yawned wide. Chris all but puddled in the floor, and Riza's eyes watered. "Lily Mustang… Lily Elizabeth Mustang…" The little girl opened her eyes for just a moment, her unfocused gaze catching her father's attention. "Do you like the name Lily?" he asked in a calm deep rumble, and his daughter gave a tired little smile and closed her eyes. Now it was Roy's turn to become the nearly squealing puddle in the floor.

"I think you've got a winner there, Roy," Braeda grinned. "It's a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl."

"She's absolutely adorable, kids," Madame said, dabbing at her eyes. "Little Lily-Bean. Oh, that's just perfect."

"Here, Grandma," Roy beamed. "You've been waiting a very long time for this." He stood and passed Lily to Chris and watched as her old face seemed to glow with inner joy.

"Hi there, my precious little Lily-Bean!" she said quietly. Her soft, old hand drifted gently through her dark hair, fixing it from a messy just-out-of-the-bath 'do into a neatly combed coif. "There, that's better! We Mustangs have an image to maintain y'know!" She looked at Braeda and beamed. "She's finally here, honey! My little granddaughter finally made it out to see me!"

"She's truly a pretty baby, guys. You did a great job, Riza," Braeda said, smirking at Roy. "Would you be offended if we bought her a dress to come home in? Something feminine, frilly, positively girly and nothing like the clothes Riza will be putting her in?"

"Oh Riza, please let us get Lily's first dress!" Christmas cried as her mind whirled with ideas on what to get her. "I'm sure once it's announced that you have a beautiful little girl, loads of dresses will come in as gifts. I just want to be sure that ours is the first."

"Of course we don't mind," Riza replied, her voice and face exhausted. "You know the only thing I've got at the mansion is a lot of pale yellow and green one piece creepers. Just please don't buy anything too pink. I'd prefer a lavender or pale blue frilly thing."

Roy kissed his wife. "You need to sleep. It's been a very long night for all of us, but for you and Lily most of all."

Madame tenderly shuffled Lily to Braeda, who only held her for a few minutes before handing her back to Roy, who placed his daughter in the bassinette and tucked her in. After that, Mr. and Mrs. Madame left Riza and Lily to rest while the Führer sent his aides to buy up a couple of boxes of 'It's A Girl!' cigars down at the gift shop. Roy went down to give a statement to the press with one of them in his mouth, and then the newspaper asked if they could take a picture of him and his aunt and uncle smoking their celebratory cigars altogether.

* * *

A month after Lily's birth, Braeda picked up the phone to hear Havoc telling him his second child was on its way. The midwife was already there and his mother was watching Jackie. The next time he called, there was a son added to the little country family. There was a big party at Emerald's on the Mustang and Havoc's first anniversary, where Madame declared Jackie and little Cort her adopted grandchildren.

One by one the group began to split and go their separate ways. Falman retired from the army and set up house with Vanessa somewhere near the southern border, though they never married.

Kain Fuery and Deena MacLendon started dating and were now considered exclusive for several months. Unfortunately, this meant that the now promoted Second Lieutenant MacLendon couldn't work directly under the Führer with an equally promoted First Lieutenant Fuery, but the couple voiced no complaints on the matter.

The search for the Retired Führer continued but the current Führer made no secret that it was not a priority issue. The brass thought it foolish to leave a mentally unstable man at large like that at first but when no trouble came, they also dropped the issue, to be locked away in some old and forgotten file in true Amestrian fashion.

Radio One officially become the most listened to channel in all of Amestris and even recently released teasers for their next big coverage, the wedding of famed Amestrian alchemist Alphonse Elric to the Xingese Princess, Mei Chang. The event is going to take place at the end of the year and will be attended by the His Excellency and his family as well as Emperor Yao Ling and his new wife, Empress Yao Lan Fan of Xing. The Emperor rocked the giant eastern country to it's foundations when he abolished the clan system that had determined the next ruler for thousands of generations. The young Emperor said it promoted hostility among his people and he would be the one to end the animosity between the clans. With the joining of Amestris and Xing through the marriage of Elric and Chang, the people are hopeful that the drastic changes will be easier to swallow with Mustang and Amestris as a model.

And while all of these changes were happening, Braeda spent as much time with Chris as he could. They worked their restaurant and spent time with their grandchildren, though secretly they missed the days when the place was just a little hole in the wall bar and brothel. The remodeled apartment that was over the old apothecary's side of the restaurant never felt like home to either of them, so they ended up moving back into the same apartment in Clover Creek.

One night, as they lay in bed together and talked about their day, Chris asked him, "What was it that brought you into the bar that first time we were together?"

Braeda stroked her hair and answered, "I was horny as hell and it had been almost nine years since I'd been with a woman. I knew the girls at your establishment were clean and not thieving cunts, so I came to the Christmas Inn looking for a good time."

"What made you decide on me?"

"You're the Madame. I figured you probably trained all those girls yourself and I didn't want the students, I wanted the master." He nibbled at her ear as he said this, and he delighted in the shiver that ran through her old body. "And besides that… I always thought you were beautiful, like in an old fashioned kind of way. You remind me of one of those classical sculptures from Creta, voluptuous in all the right places, that strong angular nose and the squared off jaw. Any man that looks at you and sees manish features is obviously an idiot."

Chris smiled in the dark as his rough hands began to pull at her nightgown and panties. "But you can't deny that my other girls are pretty."

"Pretty," he murmured against the side of her neck, "isn't the same as beautiful." His fingers were seeking her woman's place, and her large rear rolled against his groin with a jerk when he found it, stroking her wet seam while licking the shell of her ear. "I only wish I could've met you before I joined the army, back when I was thinner and could've fucked you for hours on end, back when you could've given me twenty years instead of ten."

"Can we pretend?" she gasped as he diddled her swollen nubbin. "Can I pretend to be fucking the younger version of you?"

"You don't want the grown man version?" he growled, his length pressing against her backside.

"On second thought!" she groaned. She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence because she was climaxing and her need for air was more important than her need to speak. He spent the night worshipping her soft and tired old frame, loving her more thoroughly than any man she'd ever been with, and when she thought he was finished with her, he surprised her with a second round. In the afterglow, he told her he loved her and would be with her until the end of her days, hopefully making love to her at nights and fixing her breakfast in the mornings until the end of time.

As Chris closed her eyes, she smiled and hoped they could make that dream come true too.


End file.
